Beef Wellington

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs mushroom caps
  • 2 lbs beef tenderloin
  • coarse salt
  • black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 5-6 slices prosciutto
  • 2-4 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 sheet puff pastry dough
  • flour for work surface
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Equipment

  • food processor
  • pastry brush
  • rolling pin
  • silicone baking mat or parchment paper

How-to

Cook Mushrooms

  1. Remove and discard stems from mushrooms (baby bella mushrooms used in this recipe). Put mushrooms in a food processor and pulse finely. This may need to be done in more than one batch, depending on the size of your food processor
  2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium, and add ground mushrooms. Cook with no oil or butter until all water is rendered out, about 25 minutes until they look "like earth." The mushrooms may begin to steam and spit as they initially start to release their moisture, this is normal. Set aside and allow mixture to cool

Season & Sear Beef

  1. Trim the silver skin (white and silvery connective tissue) and any fat. You want a very lean tenderloin
  2. Season meat with salt and pepper on all sides
  3. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add meat and sear each side for 2-3 minutes
  4. Transfer to a baking sheet or plate and let cool

Roll Beef, Mushrooms & Prosciutto

  1. Cover the top of a pie plate tightly with plastic wrap. Lay prosciutto in parallel lines to cover the wrap atop the plate
  2. Using a pastry brush, coat meat with mustard liberally to cover all sides
  3. With an offset spatula, spread the mushrooms mixture evenly to coat the prosciutto
  4. Set meat on top of mushrooms and roll the prosciutto tightly around the beef, using the plastic wrap to guide the prosciutto, and wrap everything tightly
  5. Refrigerate for 1 hour

Wrap in Pastry & Bake

  1. Preheat oven to 375º
  2. Lightly flour work surface and roll out pastry dough to ¼” thick
  3. Remove meat from plastic wrap and set in the middle of the pastry dough. (If you have two pieces of beef, line side-by-side). Brush egg wash atop the dough and around the meat. Fold the dough, encasing the meat like an envelope. Cut away any excess dough. Brush the seams with egg wash to seal
  4. Place on silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, seam-side-down. Make a few shallow, diagonal scores in the pastry dough with a paring knife, along the sides of the bundle
  5. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the top of the pastry dough is lightly browned
  6. Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. Slice into pieces, about 1” thick

Serving Suggestion: Sauces can be served with Wellington, but it is also excellent when served simply with Dijon mustard