Day: December 18, 2023

Beef Wellington Notes

Written 12/18/23

Non-Mushroom Duxelles

Dicing tofu and bacon
  • Diced onion and garlic
  • Diced bacon (used 4 slices)
  • Diced tofu (half carton)
  • Soy sauce, mild salt, pepper, a dash of mustard, worcestershire, red wine, vegan oyster sauce, hoisin sauce
  • Any herbs you’d like (I used a pinch of herbs de provence)
  • Make in same skillet as seared beef
  • Make sure it has time to cool

Beef

Browning in cast iron skillet
  • Make sure to use actual tenderloin (think pork tenderloin) or if using another cut then cutting it to about 10in x 3in
  • Can also use steaks or small bites of another cut
  • Set out 30min prior to searing
  • Tie up if necessary
  • Soy sauce, red wine
  • Salt, pepper, garlic powder, whatever dry seasoning on all sides, pressing into meat
  • Let sit for a bit
  • Heat up skillet, then brown all sides for about 1 min on each side
  • Set into separate dish and smear mustard on it. Let sit to cool down

Puff Pastry/Compiling

Looks like mushrooms! But they’re not!
  • Make sure Puff pastry is thawed
  • Lay out plastic wrap and then puff pastry on top
  • Roll it out to make it thin
  • Pack the duxelles onto it, leaving a little side space
  • Then place the beef towards the bottom and use the plastic wrap to roll it up being careful not to make it too thick (or it will have trouble cooking properly) by trimming excess
  • When it’s rolled up in the plastic wrap, smooth out the seams then put it in the fridge for about 20ish minutes

Cooking

Used the leftover pastry to make a quick apple turnover
  • Preheat oven to 425F
  • Unroll and place wellington on a foil lined baking sheet
  • Carefully cut slits in the top. You can be creative here or not
  • Use a wash (egg or vegan) for the top
  • Sprinkle salt over that
  • Bake about 20 to 35 minutes to desired doneness, 125F for medium rare
  • Puff pastry should be a nice golden brown
  • Let sit for at least 10 minutes
  • Cut into 1inch pieces

Notes

12/18/23: used eye round beef which was MUCH too large and would not cook through quickly. Puff pastry was too thick and didn’t cook through. Ended burning and smoking something awful. Placed monitoring probe in the side which caused a leak in the wellington. Rec maybe just an instant read thermometer in the top for the future. Took 1 hour and a half because too large. Taste was good, doneness typical for Beef Wellington, duxelle was good! Puff pastry too burnt and undone to be eaten. Bottom line: beef too big, too much pastry and too thick. Would opt for a more tender meat cut and if large then cut smaller.