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Beef Wellington is a super special, show-stopping dish. Making individual Beef Wellington takes most of the hard part out of it, so you can enjoy the amazing layers of umami flavour, while still impressing your guests.
Beef Wellington is straight up, one of the most decadent, umami pack things you can eat, and it's not as difficult to make as you might think. The hardest part by far is getting the internal temperature to be where you want it to be (ahem, nothing above medium-rare). These individual Beef Wellington's make that part even easier, since cooking smaller cuts for less time is generally much easier than trying to figure it out for a 3 pound tenderloin.
What's so Great about Beef Wellington?
A couple things. First, the cut of beef, the fillet, is one of the prime cuts (and most expensive) you can get. The traditional Beef Wellington recipes also call for the use of pate, duxelles (kind of like a paste of mushrooms, shallots, garlic and butter), prosciutto and puff pastry. If you've ever attempted to make puff pastry from scratch, you can attest to what a freaking feat this is, and that alone would make this dish incredibly special. In this recipe, we'll be wrapping the individual Beef Wellingtons in frozen puff pastry because no one has time for that.
Once you combine all these elements, it's an outrageous flavour bomb. Plus, the combined texture of the tender beef and flaky, crispy pastry are a match made in heaven.
Finally, it's an absolute showstopper. Bring this bad boy to the table and carve it in front of everyone, and it's totally going to blow your hard-to-impress in-laws away.
It's not that Hard to Make
Well, ok, if you again, attempt to make you're own puff pastry, you're on your own. The drama that surrounds this dish (looking at you Gordon Ramsay) is a bit over the top, in my opinion. But the hardest part about the rest of it is getting the beef to the right temperature. Don't get me wrong, without the right tools, you might as well be asking for a miracle. And, you'll pay so much for the meat that if you overcook it you'll feel like curling up in the fetal position and crying as you rock gently back and forth. But let's get you a meat thermometer, and you'll be well on your way.
Plus, making these individual helps as well. You can take them out at different times if you need to, and they're way easier (albeit less impressive) to serve. Plus, you don't have to deal with the wrapping situation, which for the full Wellington, is much harder and involves plastic wrap (I am so bad at trying to wrap stuff in a cylinder in plastic wrap. So we're just not going to do that).
Making the Mushroom Duxelle
This part is important. You want to do two main things here:
- Make sure you chop the mushrooms in a food processor, along with the shallots and garlic. We need this to be a paste, not individual chunks of mushroom
- I really like a cremini, shiitake, oyster mushroom combo for this. In terms of flavour, it cannot be beat.
- You have to make sure all the liquid cooks out of the mushrooms. Otherwise, the moisture from them is going to start coming out of the pastry once you cut into it (honestly, flavour-wise this isn't a huge deal, it just looks a little unappetizing).
There's Really only one Cut of Meat to Use
And for these individual Beef Wellingtons, it's the filet mignon. It's all about that soft, tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and the filet has it in spades.
Let's get Cooking
Ok, so let's walk through this whole process together shall we? Because while it's not difficult, it can be a process.
First, make sure you get your puff pastry out of the freezer! I cannot be the only one who forgets to defrost stuff every, single, time.
Next, you're going to get your fillets and sear them in a screaming hot cast iron skillet, for two minutes maximum each side. They should still be rare in the middle at this point, because they're going to cook again in the oven. Take them out of the pan, brush them with Dijon mustard and set them aside.
Next let's get the duxelles in there. Use the same pan, and don't you dare clean it out. The bits of steak left in there will provide amazing flavour, so through the processed mushrooms, shallots and garlic in there. Let them go for at least 15 minutes, stirring often, until there's no moisture left in them. Set those aside while we start putting this bad boy together.
Assembly
Ok, so let's roll out the puff pastry to thin it out a bit first. Don't go overboard with this - and one sheet should easily be able to cover two filets no problem. Just make sure it's big enough to do that and you're good to go. next, spread a rectangle of the duxelles big enough to cover the entire surface of the steak long them middle of the pastry. Add a layer of prosciutto, and then place one of the filets on top. Spread more duxelles along the top of the filet, and then more proscuitto. Pull the corners of the puff pastry into the middle, gently squish it together with your fingers, and then flip it over onto a baking sheet. Gently cut three small slices in the top for steam to escape. Repeat with the second filet.
Cooking
So here's where it gets fun. Set your oven to 400F. Brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash. Sprinkle with some sea salt. Throw it in the oven and let it go. The key here is to pull it out of the oven when the internal temperature hits 115F. This is when I find it hits perfectly medium rare (although I definitely like the rare side of medium rare) after it rests for ten minutes. Check it as often as you need too, because again, overcooking this meat is sacrilege. But, it's going to take forever if you're opening the oven door every five minutes, so balance people.
The Sides to Serve
I'm a big fan of going traditional and luxurious with these. So of course, there's got to be creamy mashed potatoes, Brussel's sprouts with bacon, and maybe even maple roasted carrots. Damn I'm hungry now.
📖 Recipe
Individual Beef Wellington
Equipment
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 filet mignon steaks about 2 inches thick
- salt & pepper for seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1½ c cremini mushrooms
- 1½ c shiitake mushrooms
- ½ c oyster mushrooms
- 1 shallot
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 3 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dethawed
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Heat your oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Generously season your filets with salt and pepper. Sear them in the skillet, for about two minutes each side. The outside should be brown, but the inside should still be raw. Set the filets aside. Keep your cast iron on low heat.
- Add the mushrooms, shallot and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until the mushrooms are in very fine pieces.
- Cook the duxelles: Add the butter to the cast iron, then add the mushroom mixture. Add the salt to get the mushrooms to release their moisture. Add the sherry vinegar, and then let this mixture cook until ALL the moisture is gone from the pan, and you're left with almost a mushroom paste. Take off the heat, and set aside.
- Flour a clean flat surface, and gently roll out your sheet of puff pastry so it's big enough to wrap both your steaks (the size will vary depending on how big the filets are).
- Brush each filet with Dijon mustard
- Cut the pastry to size. Spread a rectangle of the duxelles about the same size as the filet on the pastry. Lay a slice of prosciutto down, and place one of the filets on top. Spread another layer of duxuelles directly on top of the filet, topping with another slice of prosciutto.
- Gently pull each of the corners of the puff pastry to the middle of the filet, pinching to seal. Next, fold the edges into the middle, again sealing. This doesn't have to look pretty, just make sure it's closed and try and make it as flat as possible. One of mine kind of looked like a gremlin. It's ok. Just keep going. Repeat the process with the second filet.
- Place the Wellingtons fold side down on a baking sheet. Mix the egg and water, and brush over the tops. Using a sharp knife, gently slice three small slits in the top of the Wellingtons, to allow steam to escape. Place in the oven.
- This is where you need to be on your game. Grab your trusty meat thermometer and check the Wellingtons after about 15 minutes in the oven. You're looking for an internal temperature of 115°-120° for medium rare when you serve. Depending on where you're at (if you're close, check again in five, if not, make it ten), and continue to keep an eye on it until you hit temperature.
- Once you hit the temperature, pull out of the oven. Let the individual Beef Wellingtons rest for about 5 minutes, and then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Cara! I'm a food writer, journalist, and recipe developer. I'm obsessed good food, good wine, good cocktails and entertaining. I've picked up a few tips over the years, and love sharing them with others.
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