Beef Wellington

Although this is an extremely elegant main course, there is no definitive recipe.  Like wise there is no true source with which to say the dish was created.  Most people assume that the dish is some how related to Arthur Wellesley the 1st Duke of Wellington, and that it comes from some dish he favored.  Others theories suggest it was developed by a patriotic chef, another theory invented it in  Wellington N.Z. for some occasion.  The least favorite theory I find is that it looked, after cooking, like a highly polished “Wellington” boot, Oh so tasty!

About the only two sure things in the recipes is that the beef is en croute, wrapped in puff pastry and it won’t be found in too many French cookbooks.  The other ingredients are up for discussion and you can go from a prohibitively expensive dish with foie gras with truffles and a truffle sauce to a more modest version using some form of liver pâté and a more modest sauce.  Seemingly a daunting dish to prepare, it is in truth a fairly simple dish that does use slightly expensive ingredients.

The main ingredient is a tenderloin of beef.  It can made as one large piece of meat or as individual servings which takes a little more work.  The rest of the processes are the same.

Since it is baked in a pastry shell there is no gravy, so a sauce must be prepared and again here you will have a large variety of choices.  My two favorites would be Bearnaise or a Madeira sauce,  of course you can go with a simple thicken beef gravy, also there are no “laws” or sauce police to prevent you from experimenting.

About the only “must” is to use a piece of meat that is uniform in thickness so that it all cooks evenly.

Ingredients for Beef Wellington

This recipe is for a piece of meat that is 6 -8 inches in length.

1. 1 center cut beef tenderloin 6 -8 ” trimmed of fat and silver-skin
   
2. Salt & pepper
3. 2 tbs butter & 2 tbs olive oil
4. 1lbs. button mushrooms
5. 2 large shallots
6. 4 cloves of garlic
7. 1 tsp thyme
8. 1 sheet of puff pastry
9. 1 – 2 lbs liver pâté (enough liver pâté to cover the beef but not the ends)
10. mirepoix of onion chopped, celery chopped and parsley,1 bay leaf and pinch of rosemary

For the Madeira Sauce

1. 2 cups brown sauce (recipe to follow)
2. 1/3 cup Madeira wine

For Brown Sauce

1. 4 cups beef stock
2. 4 tbs butter or beef fat
3. 4 tbs flour
4. 1 onion diced
5. 6 tbs tomato puree

Directions for the Brown Sauce

Making the sauce is the most time consuming part of the recipe and needs to be done well in advance of the actual dish.

In a sauce pan melt the butter and add the onion and cook to softened.  Then add the flour and cook until it begins to brown.  Once brown add the stock and purée mix well and cook until it’s reduced to about 2 cups.

Directions for Madeira Sauce

Take 2 cups of brown sauce and reduce to about 1 cup, then add 1/3 cup Madeira Wine and increase heat.  Do not let sauce come to a boil as this will lessen the flavor of the wine.

Directions for the Beef Wellington

Preheat oven to 450°

Take the tenderloin and season with salt and pepper and in a flat pan roast with the mirepoix sprinkled around it for about 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Duxelles:

In a food processor place the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and thyme and pulse until you have a finely chopped mixture.

In a frying pan place the butter and olive oil and melt and then cook the mushroom mixture until almost all the liquid has evaporated.   Set aside to cool.

Assembly:

When the meat is cool, take the puff pastry and roll out so that it is large enough to encompass the meat. 

Take the pâté and spread to completely cover all the sides of the tenderloin, but not the ends.  Spread the duxelles out on a large plate and  press the duxelles into the pâté covered beef ,covering all the pâté with the duxelles.

Now place the covered meat onto the puff pastry fold over and seal, completely, trimming ends if necessary.  Place it seam side down on a sheet pan.  Brush egg wash over entire pastry.  If you want before placing in oven you can decorate with leftover puff pastry ie. at Christmas perhaps use a tree cookie cutter and press this piece of dough on top and then brush with egg wash.

Bake in a 450° oven for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is brown. Serve the sauce on the side.

Here are a few items to help make this recipe;
Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB Prep 9 9-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless
Sterlingcraft Oblong Serving Tray
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Zwilling Four Star 2-Piece Carving Set

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Beef Wellington & Madeira Sauce

2013-08-12 02:38:18

Serves 6

A very elegant main course

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Ingredients

1. This recipe is for a piece of meat that is 6 -8 inches in length.
2. 1 center cut beef tenderloin 6 -8 " trimmed of fat and silver-skin
3. Salt & pepper
4. 2 tbs butter & 2 tbs olive oil
5. 1lbs. button mushrooms
6. 2 large shallots
7. 4 cloves of garlic
8. 1 tsp thyme
9. 1 sheet of puff pastry
10. 1 - 2 lbs liver pâté (enough liver pâté to cover the beef but not the ends)
11. mirepoix of onion celery and parsley,1 bay leaf and pinch of rosemary
12. For the Madeira Sauce
13. 2 cups brown sauce (recipe to follow)
14. 1/3 cup Madeira wine
15. For Brown Sauce
16. 4 cups beef stock
17. 4 tbs butter or beef fat
18. 4 tbs flour
19. 1 onion diced
20. 6 tbs tomato puree

Instructions

1. Directions for the Brown Sauce
2. Making the sauce is the most time consuming part of the recipe and needs to be done well in advance of the actual dish.
3. In a sauce pan melt the butter and add the onion and cook to softened. Then add the flour and cook until it begins to brown. Once brown add the stock and puree mix well and cook until it's reduced to about 2 cups.
4. Directions for Madeira Sauce
5. Take 2 cups of brown sauce and reduce to about 1 cup, then add 1/3 cup Madeira Wine and increase heat. Do not let sauce come to a boil as this will lessen the flavor of the wine.
6. Directions for the Beef Wellington
7. Preheat oven to 450°
8. Take the tenderloin and season with salt and pepper and in a flat pan roast with the mirepoix sprinkled around it for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Duxelles

1. In a food processor place the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and thyme and pulse until you have a finely chopped mixture.
2. In a frying pan place the butter and olive oil and melt and then cook the mushroom mixture until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.

Assembly

1. When the meat is cool, take the puff pastry and roll out so that it is large enough to encompass the meat.
2. Take the pâté and spread to completely cover all the sides of the tenderloin, but not the ends. Spread the duxelles out on a large plate and press the duxelles into the pâté covered beef ,covering all the pâté with the duxelles.
3. Now place the covered meat onto the puff pastry fold over and seal, completely, trimming ends if necessary. Place it seam side down on a sheet pan. Brush egg wash over entire pastry. If you want before placing in oven you can decorate with leftover puff pastry ie. at Christmas perhaps use a tree cookie cutter and press this piece of dough on top and then brush with egg wash.
4. Bake in a 450° oven for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is brown. Serve the sauce on the side.

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