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.

Immediately before cooking, remove the Wellington from the fridge and give it final egg wash then sprinkle with sea salt. Again, don't let the egg wash pool inside the diamonds. Using the parchment paper, lift the Wellington and carefully transfer to the hot tray. This will help avoid a soggy bottom.

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.

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. Just make sure you cook all the juice out of the mushrooms.

Mastering how to make one, however, can be challenging. With so many steps involved, there's a lot of room for error when making a beef Wellington. The most common mishap is the beef on the inside turning out undercooked while the puff pastry is flaky and golden.

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.

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.

You can prepare the Wellington up to 24 hours in advance at this point, but make sure you remove it from the fridge 30-40 minutes before the final bake. Carefully transfer the Beef Wellington to a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 425°F/220°C for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

Lower the fat content of your wellington by using filo pastry instead of puff, eliminating butter, a non-stick frying pan to reduce the amount of oil needed, replacing the pate and using herbs and garlic to boost flavour without needing salt.

However there was one dish that the Duke would love so much that he'd always order his culinary staff to make it for his guests- this dish would then be called the Beef Wellington.

What can I substitute for pâté in Beef Wellington? ›

If liver paté isn't your thing, feel free to skip it and just add some cream cheese to the mushroom duxelles to make it spreadable. I love this because you can tailor it to your tastes. Get all the recipes for the mushroom duxelles, beef wellington and a simple red wine pan gravy below!

It's what you cook when you want to cook the very best. Beef Wellington begins with a beef tenderloin, the tenderest and costliest cut of meat. The beef is wrapped in a thin layer of duxelles, which is sauteed mushrooms and onions or shallots, and in this case garlic.

2) The crepes protect the pastry from excess moisture as the beef cooks, and also helps the beef stay joicy and tender once cooked. 3) Be very careful to tightly wrap your beef – the tighter the wrapping, the better the shape, which will result in more even cooking.

Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar. Then bake at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes.

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Coating the inside surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess.

Beef Wellington is a dish that is rated under the “top 10 hardest dishes to make”, at number 4. 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.

1. Consommé Devilish dish: A clear soup made from meat, tomato, egg whites and stock, slowly simmered to bring impurities to the surface for skimming. Techn-eeek: Even some of the most experienced chefs cannot master the complex clarification process required to make consommé.

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 until pastry is golden brown and center of roast registers 110°F (43°C) for rare or 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for ten minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to loosen Wellington from foil, then carefully transfer to a carving board.