One of the most celebrated dinners is this Perfect Beef Wellington. Succulent beef tenderloin wrapped in mushroom duxelles and encased with a perfect puff pastry seems amazing but wait, we have added prosciutto in there too for an extra bonus of lushness. A perfect roast for Valentine’s Day, Christmas dinner, or for a special Sunday night.
Want more great beef dishes? Then try our Pan-Seared Filet Mignon, Slow Cooker Roast Beef with Potatoes and Carrots, Traditional Beef Rouladen, or Instant Pot Braised Short Ribs.
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What is Beef Wellington? What is so Special about Beef Wellington?
Most historians of food will agree that this dish came about to celebrate the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, and his victory over Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. He later also became Prime Minister of England.
Now let’s find out what is in Beef Wellington and how to make it.
Beef Wellington Ingredients
Ingredients
For the Duxelles
White button mushrooms
Shallots
Dried thyme leaves
Garlic, minced
Butter
Olive oil
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
For the Beef
Center-cut beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Prosciutto
Dijon mustard
Flour (for rolling out puff pastry)
Puff pastry, thawed
Eggs
Coarse sea salt
How to Make Beef Wellington
In preparation for this meal, it is very helpful to have a clean large work surface to use.
For the Duxelles:
Coarsely chop mushrooms and the shallots and add them in batches to a food processor along with the thyme.
Pulse until finely chopped.
In a large sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushroom shallot mixture and sauté for 8-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic in the last 2 minutes. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Lightly season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and set aside to cool.
For the Beef:
Tie the beef with butchers’ twine in 4-5 places, so it holds together while searing.
Drizzle with olive oil on all sides and season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
Brown on all sides, including the ends, in a large, heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat, for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter. It should be at least 12 inches larger than the tenderloin roast.
Layout the prosciutto slices on the plastic wrap, shingling the slices, so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the whole roast.
Using a spatula, spread out the mushroom duxelles covering the prosciutto in a thin layer.
Remove the butcher twine from the roast and smear the Dijon mustard all over the seared roast.
Place the Dijon-covered roast in the center of the mushroom mixture. Using the plastic wrap to help roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto. Tuck the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef.
Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape.
Refrigerate for at least 1-3 hours to ensure it holds its shape.
Baking the Beef Wellington:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to about a ¼ inch thick. Depending upon the size of your puff pastry, you may need to overlap 2 sheets pressing the seam together.
Gently unwrap the beef log and place it in the middle of the puff pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten eggs and fold to cover the beef. Fold the ends down to seal. You may need to trim the ends if the pastry is too large.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down. Brush the pastry on all sides with the beaten egg and sprinkle the top with coarse sea salt.
Using a sharp knife, cut a couple of slits in the top of the pastry to allow the steam to escape while cooking.
Bake for 35 – 45 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown, and the beef should register 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer* (this will give you a perfect medium-rare cook after resting). *affiliate link
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing.
Slice into 1 inch thick slices and serve.
Note: salt lightly as you are cooking because the prosciutto will add extra salt also to the dish.
What to Serve with Beef Wellington?
Beef Wellington is definitely the star of the show, but some lovely sides like these will help it shine even more so!
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan Cream Sauce
Instant Pot Boulangere Potatoes
Roasted Mashed Butternut Squash
Is Beef Wellington Expensive?
Yes, Beef Wellington is expensive as it uses one of the more expensive cuts of beef. We usually buy the entire tenderloin; use the large upper section for a roast or for a Beef Wellington. Then cut some steaks (usually 4 from the tailpiece) and use the end for a small piece of meat for two to grill or roast.
A large tenderloin will run you around $100 in both Canada and the US at this present time. Foie Gras is sometimes added to this recipe which is also expensive, but we decided to use Proscuitto instead, which is another mainstay of this dish.
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Perfect Beef Wellington
Ingredients
For the Duxelles
- 1 ½ lbs. white button mushrooms
- 2 shallots
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tsp garlic minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
For the Beef
- 3 lbs. center-cut beef tenderloin roast trimmed
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 12 thin slices of prosciutto
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- Flour for rolling out puff pastry
- 1 lb. puff pastry thawed
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
FOR THE DUXELLES:
- Coarsely chop mushrooms and the shallots and add them in batches to a food processor along with the thyme.
- Pulse until finely chopped.
- In a large sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushroom shallot mixture and sauté for 8-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic in the last 2 minutes. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Lightly season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and set aside to cool.
FOR THE BEEF:
- Tie the beef with butchers’ twine in 3-4 places, so it holds together while searing.
- Drizzle with olive oil on all sides and season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Brown on all sides, including the ends, in a large, heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat, for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter. It should be at least 12 inches larger than the tenderloin roast.
- Layout the prosciutto slices on the plastic wrap, shingling the slices, so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the whole roast.
- Using a spatula, spread out the mushroom duxelles covering the prosciutto in a thin layer.
- Remove the butcher twine from the roast and smear the Dijon mustard all over the seared roast.
- Place the Dijon-covered roast in the center of the mushroom mixture. Using the plastic wrap to help roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto. Tuck the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef.
- Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape.
- Refrigerate for at least 1-3 hours to ensure it holds its shape.
BAKING THE BEEF WELLINGTON:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to about a ¼ inch thick. Depending upon the size of your puff pastry, you may need to overlap 2 sheets pressing the seam together.
- Gently unwrap the beef log and place it in the middle of the puff pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten eggs and fold to cover the beef. Fold the ends down to seal. You may need to trim the ends if the pastry is too large.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down. Brush the pastry on all sides with the beaten egg and sprinkle the top with coarse sea salt.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a couple of slits in the top of the pastry to allow the steam to escape while cooking.
- Bake for 35 – 45 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown, and the beef should register 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (this will give you a perfect medium-rare cook after resting).
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing.
- Slice into 1 inch thick slices and serve.
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