The Grub Files: Cooking with Camissonia: Beef Wellington

Thursday, January 4, 2024

Beef Wellington

According to Wiki, while historians generally believe that the dish is named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the precise origin of the name is unclear and no definite connection between the dish and the duke has been found.

Be that as it may, after watching 22 seasons (2005 to 2024) of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen and witnessing an inordinate number of contestants struggle to cook his signature Beef Wellington to perfection, I decided to tackle this seemingly formidable dish for this New Year's Eve's dinner. Prior to taking the plunge, I watched Gordon Ramsay make his version online via MasterClass. I compared his recipe to others, including Tyler Florence's (The Ultimate Beef Wellington, Food Network) and decided to do an amalgamation of both. Here are the takeaways from my first foray into the making of this iconic British dish:

1. Making Beef Wellington is not as intimidating as many may think it to be.

2. The ingredients are few and simple; the key is timing the steps (some parts can be made ahead).

3. Needless to say (Captain Obvious), using the best quality beef tenderloin you can afford pays off.

4. Although both Gordon, Tyler and others use prosciutto slices to prevent the mushroom duxelles and beef from rendering the puff pastry into a soggy mess, I found the end result to be too salty. A preferable alternative, IMO, is to layer a crepe between the puff pastry and mushroom duxelles instead (Gordon does this with an herbed crepe in addition to the prosciutto slices, but I would just leave out the prosciutto).

5. Gordon pairs his with a red wine sauce, but I made a version of Tyler Florence's Green Peppercorn sauce instead. I used a salted beef broth but will use unsalted next time so that I can better control the sodium level.

6. The Wellington will be perfectly done at 120 to 125F; it is important to let it rest 10-15 minutes out of the oven before slicing and serving.

My verdict: Any home cook can make this. Don't let the instructions intimidate. Make the mushroom duxelles ahead of time and the rest is easy peasy - try it, you'll love it, and also impress your family and friends with this masterpiece!

INGREDIENTS:

MUSHROOM DUXELLES:

3 pints (1 1/2 lbs.) white button mushrooms, stemmed and halved

2 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

BEEF:

3 lbs. center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon)

Olive oil

Kosher salt & pepper

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 lb. puff pastry (defrosted in the refrigerator)

2 eggs, beaten (egg wash)

1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

GREEN PEPPERCORN SAUCE:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup brandy

1 box unsalted beef broth

2 cups heavy cream

2 tbsp. stone ground mustard

3.52-oz. can green peppercorns in brine, drained

DIRECTIONS:

MUSHROOM DUXELLES (can be made ahead-refrigerate overnight before using):

1. Place the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and thyme into a blender; pulse until finely chopped.

2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; add the mushroom mix and saute 8-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

BEEF:

1. Tie the beef tenderloin with twine into 3 or 4 places to hold it together. Slather olive oil over the beef and season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet with enough olive oil to coat the bottom over high heat; sear the tenderloin, about 1 minute each side (about 3-4 sides, depending on how much area you can cover with each searing).

3. Remove the seared beef to a chopping board and cut off the twine; rub the Dijon mustard all over the tenderloin; allow to cool for 3-5 minutes.

4. In the meantime, place a large sheet of plastic wrap over a chopping board or countertop (large enough to roll the beef in). Place 1-2 crepes, store-bought or homemade) over the plastic wrap. Spread the cooled duxelles mushrooms evenly over the crepes.

5. Place the seared beef in the middle of the duxelles wrap and roll tightly into a log; seal the ends of the roll by twisting. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes to set.

GREEN PEPPERCORN SAUCE:

1. In the same pan that the beef was seared in, add 1-2 tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat. Add shallots, garlic and thyme; saute for a couple minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.

2. Add the brandy and light with a long match or lighter; when flames die down, return the pan to the heat and add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half.

3. Add the heavy cream and mustard and reduce by half; stir in green peppercorns, cook for 15-20 seconds, then turn off the heat. Taste and season with salt as needed. Set aside.

BEEF CONTINUED:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.

2. Unfold the puff pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll to 1/4" thickness. If there are 2 sheets, overlap them slightly before rolling out into one large sheet.

3. Take the beef roll out from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Place on the center of the puff pastry and fold over top and sides, trimming any excess and sealing with your fingers.

4. Place the roll, seam side down, onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the pastry with the egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and cut 2-3 slits on top with a sharp paring knife so that moisture can escape during baking.

5. Bake 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the internal temperature of the beef is 120 to 125F. Remove the beef from the oven and let rest at least 10-15 minutes.

6. Cut the Beef Wellington into 1" thick slices and serve with sauce. Great sides are mashed or roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus or other greens.

Mushroom Duxelles

Tenderloin from Snake River Farms

Tie the tenderloin with twine.

Mushroom duxelles over a layer of prosciutto in my original attempt. I would replace the prosciutto with a crepe next time around to minimize the saltiness.