Easy Ground Beef Wellington recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is Beef Wellington difficult? ›

Beef wellington is not an easy dish to prepare with perfection. For starters, getting the tenderloin steak right is a challenge in itself. 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.

Tying the tenderloin improves both the appearance of the final dish, and leads to more even cooking. 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.

A traditional Beef Wellington consists of a beef tenderloin wrapped in layers of pâté, duxelles (a finely chopped mushroom mixture), parma ham, and puff pastry, then baked. Rumor has it that Beef Wellington got its name from Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, who counted the dish among his favorite recipes.

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.

Not cooking the mushroom mixture long enough

Unfortunately, beef Wellington often falls victim to soggy pastry from excess moisture. The beef Sirloin juices are one explanation, but mushroom duxelles can also cause excess liquid to soak into the crust.

How do you keep the bottom of Beef Wellington from getting soggy? By adding breadcrumbs to the mushroom mixture like we do in this recipe, the juice from the beef gets soaked up before reaching the bottom layer of your Wellington, leaving the pastry to get nice and crisp for the most satisfying beef Wellington ever.

Place one of your beef filets in the middle of the pie crust. Put half of the mushroom pate on top of the filet and top with one of your spare mushroom caps. Wrap the pie crust over the filet, sealing all of the pastry edges with egg white brushed on with a pastry brush. Repeat with your next filet.

However, some would argue and recommend an English mustard since beef Wellington is a British recipe. Crepes – Using thin crepes creates a base to place the prosciutto and duxelles on. However, crepes are optional, you'll see many different recipes and some use crepes and some don't.

What's a Beef Wellington? It's a beef tenderloin (better know as "filet" outside of the US) covered in a mushroom paste (duxelles) and wrapped in puff pastry. It looks stunning, tastes amazing, and can be prepared up to the final bake the day before the event.

Why is Beef Wellington so expensive? ›

But on top of its tedious cooking process, beef Wellington is also expensive. The dish typically calls for beef tenderloin, the tender cut of beef that filet mignon comes from, in addition to pricey prosciutto. With these high-priced meats, beef Wellington isn't exactly budget-friendly.

Tesco Finest 30-Day matured Beef Wellington 0.9-1.2kg (Serves 4) - Tesco Groceries.

Use a ChefAlarm inserted laterally into the loin through the pastry to track the meat's internal temperature. Set the high alarm to 125°F (52°C) for perfect medium-rare. Notes: For extra protection from overcooking, do as we recommend in our other tenderloin post, and chill the beef before searing.

Typically you use beef filet or filet mignon for a beef wellington. You can also use venison loin, pork tenderloin, or lamb cannon if you don't eat beef.

Chuck roast is a less expensive way to enjoy this classic entrée, which is often made with beef tenderloin. It's definitely worth your time.

One of the hardest parts of this dish is cooking the meat correctly, and not over cooking it. Typically a beef wellington's tenderloin should be at a medium rare – which is not always an easy feat to achieve.

Beef Wellington is a traditional British dish; it's said to have originated in the 1800s after the Duke of Wellington won a victory in Waterloo. The celebratory dish became a classic that rose to popularity as a fancy centerpiece served at dinner parties and holidays in the mid 1900's.

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.