Beef Wellington

Merry Christmas!

For our celebratory dinner this year, I did remember to get the trimmed (vs. untrimmed) version of beef tenderloin. Since I couldn't decide between two new recipes on Wayne's list, and since they each called for a two-pound piece of meat, and since the one I purchased was four pounds, we opted to try both of them!

Early in our marriage, I tried making the Beef Wellington recipe in the Make-a-Mix Cookbook. That one used ground beef and pie crust, and was perfect for our student budget. However, Wayne didn't really like it, so I never made it again. I'm not sure why, but for some reason Beef Wellington makes me think of my grandmother, and I was excited to try this recipe from Delish. I figured that tenderloin vs. ground beef and puff pastry vs. pie crust would make this version 100% better than the last one we tried. I was right. It was absolutely delicious, and while Wayne preferred the other variation of tenderloin on the table, I really liked this one and would be happy to make it again someday.

Sam was interested in this version, and he liked it, too!

This recipe called for duxelles; do you know what that is?

Duxelles: a preparation of mushrooms sautéed with onions, shallots, garlic, and parsley and used to make stuffing or sauce.

The recipe said to cook the minced mushrooms for 25 minutes; however, it took a good 75 minutes of sauteing before I felt the liquid had evaporated enough. Then I covered it when I put it in the fridge to cool, which caused condensation when I took it out later. Next time I should probably leave it uncovered.

Sear the meat on all sides, coat with dijon mustard and put in the fridge for an hour or two.

Lay out some plastic wrap and top with thin slices of prosciutto. Spread with the mushroom mixture. Place the tenderloin at one end and roll up tightly, tucking in the proscuitto as you go. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Chill for another hour or so.

Roll out a sheet of puff pastry, and brush the edges with an egg wash. Place the beef at one end, roll up, pinch edges closed. Wrap in plastic and chill for 15-30 minutes.

Remove from plastic wrap; place on foiled baking dish; brush with egg wash; bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes; carve and serve.