Tag: bacon

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.

Breaded Chicken Rolls

written 07/08/2023, updated 07/08/2023

Variation without excess sauce or cheese

What

Chicken breast rolls stuffed with sauce, bacon, and spinach, breaded with Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Crumbs. Can easily be dairy-free without addition of cheese. No eggs. No soy. Unless in sauce.

Fun for a family because each roll can be customized for each person in terms of sauce, seasonings, and filling

Ingredients

Main: Chicken breasts (whole or sliced), Kellogs’s Corn Flakes Crumbs (or whatever breading, like panko), filling, seasoning, sauce, physical fastener

Your choices of whatever you like:

Filling: spinach, cheese slices, bacon, dried cranberries, onions, etc

Seasonings: soy sauce, salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, etc

Sauce: A-1, mustard, hot sauce, mango, tomato, etc

Fasteners: toothpicks, cooking twine, etc

Time

45 minutes prep + 30-45 minutes bake = 1.5 hours total

Steps

I used 4 whole breasts, pictures below

  • Cook bacon
  • Sauté spinach and flavor lightly with lemon, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, and crumbled bacon, if desired
  • Prepare and set out any seasonings or sauces (your hands will be dirty)
  • Prepare breading in dish and set aside
  • Line a baking pan with baking rack (you want airflow under the chicken)
  • Prepare a sheet of plastic wrap and set nearby
  • Butterfly the whole breasts (if using pre-cut breasts, skip ahead)
  • Lay plastic wrap on top of butterflied chicken
  • Using a meat tenderizer mallet, pound until flat
    • Repeat for all chicken
    • One by one, season the chicken on both sides
    • Pour sauce and rub it in
    • Layer cheese, bacon, and spinach
    • Top with more sauce, bacon, and cheese
    • Carefully fold in the sides, and then roll (Sauce and cheese will escape any holes or seams!)
    • Bind with physical fasteners (I use toothpicks)
    • Drizzle oil (optional)
    • Cover in Kellogg’s Crumbs/breading
    • Bake in oven between 350-400 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes (depends on how much chicken)
    • Remove fasteners
    • Slice, enjoy

Pictures

Saute spinach
Careful, don’t make it too salty
Breading
Used pre-cooked bacon this time. Meh.
Baking rack on lined pan
Meat tenderizer
4 whole breasts
Flattening
Flattened
Soy sauce
Spices
Sauce, bacon, spinach
Wrapped, about to bread
Baking

Notes

  • Sauce is imperative if you don’t want it to turn out dry
  • Fun to make for the family because everyone gets to choose their own sauce/flavor
  • Pre-cooked bacon is easy, but imparts little flavor
  • Bakes quickly since chicken is thin and filling is pre-cooked
  • Thermometers are not recommended given how thin the meat is, can be used as a gauge
  • Cutting open a test piece is the best option to test for doneness
  • Cheese is not necessary, but makes it oh so good
  • Colored toothpicks not recommended, lol. Color comes off in chicken.
  • Bite sized is fun to eat, but annoying to prepare
  • Try not to create holes when butterflying
  • Try not to lose any sauce or cheese to holes during baking. Makes it very dry