Best Ever Beef Wellington Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What are common mistakes in Beef Wellington? ›

Phyllo provides a moisture barrier, preventing the puff pastry from getting soggy. A double layer of plastic wrap makes it easier to wrap up the tenderloin.

It has to be tender on the inside but decently firm on the outside, so it doesn't get mushed inside. The pâté and the duxelles are like preparing two individual dishes themselves. And once it's all wrapped up in the pastry, the final hurdle is to bake it at the right temperature.

One other approach is to bake "blind" a rectangle of puff pastry for the base before assembling the wellington. Cut a rectangle of pastry slightly larger than the beef for the base, prick it thoroughly with a fork and bake at 200c/400F for 20 minutes until golden.

You can prepare the Wellington up to 24 hours in advance at this point, but make sure you remove it from the fridge 30-40 minutes before the final bake.

The pastry should be golden brown and brittle when it's ready. You can check the core temperature of the beef with your meat thermometer - for a succulent pink Wellington, it should be 54°C after resting for 10 minutes, so we suggest that you remove it from the oven when it reaches 50°C.

Yes, you can prepare Beef Wellington ahead of time. You can assemble the Wellington, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight.

But Kenji takes it one step further by wrapping the prosciutto, duxelles, and loin in filo dough before wrapping it in puff pastry. Why? Because filo is great at making packets that contain liquid, and that's great for keeping your puff pastry from getting soggy, one of the common problems with Beef Wellington.

Tenderize the sirloin by pounding with a meat mallet for several minutes (we're trying to simulate a filet here). In a medium-hot pan, sear the steak on all sides, about 30 seconds per side. The steak should still be rare inside at this point. Refrigerate until ready to use again.

Beef én Croute Recipe

The main difference between this Beef én Croute and a Beef Wellington is that this is a puff pastry parcel of fillet steak topped with pate and a Beef Wellington has no topping.

What is an interesting fact about Beef Wellington? ›

1) Arthur Wellesley wasn't fussed about what he ate and let his chef create whatever he liked – his chef liked creating Wellingtons. 2) The finished dish looks a bit like a Wellington Boot, hence the name. 3) The dish is French but was renamed during the wars with France.

Beef Wellington is a nice cut of meat, usually a fillet steak, beef tenderloin, or filet mignon. It uses the center-cut portion of the meat that is known to be the most tender and juicy part of the cow.

2) The crepes protect the pastry from excess moisture as the beef cooks, and also helps the beef stay joicy and tender once cooked. 3) Be very careful to tightly wrap your beef – the tighter the wrapping, the better the shape, which will result in more even cooking.

Place slices of beef wellington on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Cover loosely with foil. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.

Excess moisture doesn't make the beef extra juicy. Instead, it prevents the puff pastry from fully crisping up, ultimately causing the crust to get soggy. Luckily, using proper cooking techniques can prevent too much moisture from collecting in your beef Wellington.

We'll cook the Wellington at 425°F (218°C) to puff the pastry. But we needn't fear that our beef will overcook too quickly because once the pastry is puffed, it literally becomes a coat of insulation for the meat: all those air pockets slow the flow of heat from the outside to the beef and prevent it from scorching.

Before prepping the meat take it out of the fridge to get to room temperature. Use a sheet of puff pastry and keep the leftovers to make some fun decorations on top of the beef wellington . Use your instant read thermometer to make sure the beef is cooked properly.

Bake in a hot oven (220C/425F/Gas mark 7) for about 40 minutes until the pastry is well puffed and browned. At this stage the beef should be rare. If more cooking is required lower the temperature to moderate (l80C/350F/Gas mark 4) and cook for a further 15 minutes for medium to well done.