Beef wellington is a gourmet meal for any special occasion. Tender and juicy filet mignon steaks wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden brown. Each individual portion is served with a delicious red wine mushroom pan sauce.
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This beef wellington recipe is the perfect fancy meal if you’re looking to impress someone special. The flavors and textures in this dish screams indulgence. The recipe consists of tender, juicy pan-seared filet mignon topped with savory mushroom duxelles, wrapped in prosciutto, and covered in a blanket of golden brown puff pastry.
There’s an abundance of flavor going on, and the taste is worth the effort. The recipe is relatively easy to make despite the drama Gordon Ramsey gives contestants on the Hell’s Kitchen TV show. Just take your time and follow the directions, and you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic dinner.
The mushroom filling
Mushrooms add a delicious umami flavor, and it’s also the classic topping for this dish. Use a food processor to chop the mushrooms into small pieces for the inside filling. Hand chopping works well, too; it just takes a little longer.
Saute the mushroom mixture in olive oil until tender and most of the moisture evaporates. This step prevents the pastry from becoming soggy as it bakes. Chill the filling so it doesn’t continue to cook the beef when wrapped. Spread the filling on top of the prosciutto, then tightly wrap the meat in a little package.
What’s the best cut of beef to use?
Purchase at least a Choice or Prime grade beef tenderloin (or filet mignon) at the market. The cut of beef should be well-marbled, with all the harsh and chewy silverskin removed.
Ensure it’s at least 1 ½ to 2 inches thick to prevent overcooking when baked. You can also use a more extended cut of meat to make a roast large enough to feed a crowd instead of individual portions.
Searing the meat
I recommend using a stainless steel pan when cooking because it creates the best golden crust. Ensure the pan is very hot. Add the oil, followed by the beef. Preheating the pan develops a nonstick surface, and not moving the meat once placed inside allows for even searing the surface.
This process only takes a few minutes. The goal is to create surface flavors, not to cook the steak completely. The doneness should still be rare before it goes into the oven. After searing, brush with Dijon mustard for a bit of tanginess.
Wrap the meat in prosciutto
Wrap in puff pastry
There’s no need to make puff pastry from scratch. I use Pepperidge Farm sheets. Gently roll it out once defrosted and wrap the steaks snuggly into the dough. You don’t want too much excess; otherwise, it will be too thick and doughy when you bite into it.
To thaw puff pastry, separate the sheets, but do not unfold them. Transfer to a sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature away from a hot oven or sunny window for about 30 to 40 minutes. You can also thaw it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours following the same method above.
It’s best to work with the puff pastry when it’s cold and easy to manipulate. Make sure to cover and refrigerate the dough if it gets beyond 40 minutes. This technique prevents it from drying out, making it hard to roll, and stops the layers from melting.
The target temperature for the beef
Beef wellington should bake in the oven until it reaches your desired doneness. Target around 120 to 125ºF (49 to 52ºC) for medium-rare or 130 to 135ºF (54 to 57ºC) for medium.
These ranges give the steak time for carryover cooking, which elevates about five more degrees as it rests for 10 minutes before serving. It’s best to use an instant-read thermometer pierced into the thickest part of the beef to test.
Make a mushroom sauce
After searing the meat, plenty of delicious drippings and browned bits should be left in the pan. Don’t let those go to waste! You can make a sauce by first deglazing the skillet with red wine to dissolve those stuck-on pieces.
I like a hearty cabernet sauvignon, but a merlot works well too. Then make a roux to thicken the beef stock. Add shallots and sliced mushrooms and simmer.
Side dishes to serve
- Mashed Potatoes
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Sauteed Green Beans
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes
- Rice Pilaf
- Carrot Puree
Can beef wellington be prepared in advance?
Yes! You can prepare several steps before baking the pastry-wrapped steak in the oven. The mushroom filling, searing of the steak, and wrapping in the ham/pastry can be completed and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. On the day of serving, score and brush the pastry with egg wash right before baking.
Individual Beef Wellington with Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
- 1 frozen puff pastry sheet, Pepperidge Farm recommended
Mushroom Filling
- 8 ounces brown mushrooms, rinsed and dried
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Beef
- 16 ounces beef tenderloin steaks, filet mignon (two 8-oz pieces) 1 ½ to 2" thick
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 ounces prosciutto, 6 to 8 slices
- water, as needed for brushing the pastry
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
- kosher salt, as needed for seasoning
- black pepper, as needed for seasoning
Mushroom Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine
- ¼ cup diced shallots, ¼" dice
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups beef stock, divided
- 4 ounces brown mushrooms, ¼" thick slices
- kosher salt, as needed for seasoning
- black pepper, as needed for seasoning
Instructions
- Defrost the Puff Pastry – Defrost 1 sheet of puff pastry at room temperature. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and tightly cover it with plastic wrap until pliable yet cool, 30 to 40 minutes. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap if defrosted and not used immediately.
- Preheat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat to 400°F (204ºC). Begin making the mushroom filling.
- Mushroom Filling – Add mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until the texture is similar to coarse breadcrumbs. It should not become a paste. Alternatively, chop with a chef’s knife as finely as possible.Heat a medium-sized pan over medium heat, and add olive oil. Add chopped mushrooms, then sauté until soft and most moisture evaporates, about 5 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled.
- Prepare the Steaks – Trim any excess fat or silverskin from the meat. If needed, the steaks can be reformed into rounds by tying them together with butcher's twine to hold the shape as it cooks in the pan. Pat dry with a paper towel and season each side generously with salt and black pepper.
- Sear the Surface – Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add two tablespoons of olive oil. The pan should be really hot before adding the steaks. When the oil just begins to smoke, add them to the pan, press down, and brown for 2 minutes on each side. Quickly sear the raw edges so the red turns brown. Remove the steaks from the pan and place them on a clean plate to cool. Turn off the heat and save the pan with the drippings for the mushrooms sauce. Cut off the butcher's twine if using. Brush Dijon mustard all over each filet while still warm. Set aside.
- Wrap with Prosciutto – On a cutting board, place a large piece of plastic wrap. Lay down 3 to 4 slices of prosciutto, enough to completely cover the beef. Slightly overlap each piece about ¼" to create a row. Spread half of the mushroom filling over the prosciutto, leaving about a ½" border along the sides. The layered prosciutto slices should resemble the shape of a rectangle.Place the seared filet in the center of the prosciutto and mushroom layer. If the beef is more rectangular, lay it so the longer end lines up with the longer sides of the prosciutto layer. Use the plastic wrap to draw the prosciutto around the fillet, covering all sides. Roll up and twist the ends of the film to tighten. Repeat the process with the remaining filet. Refrigerate the fillets for 5 minutes.
- Wrap with Puff Pastry – Roll the defrosted pastry sheet into an 11-inch by 11-inch square. Lightly dust the surface with flour if it sticks to the rolling pin. Cut the pastry in half into two 5 ½-inch by 11-inch rectangles.Place the prosciutto-wrapped beef fillets in the center of each pastry sheet. Line up the meat's long side with the pastry's long side. Lightly brush the edges with water. Starting at the longer sides, bring opposite corners of the pastry over, gently stretching the dough if needed. Press the seams to seal tightly. Fold the shorter sides up to enclose the other portions. If they do not reach the center, just press the sides to seal the pastry. Repeat wrapping with the remaining filet. Use plastic wrap to tightly seal each pastry-wrapped filet and refrigerate for about 5 minutes to allow the pastry to firm up again.
- Brush with Eggwash – In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and milk. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Remove the wellingtons from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and lay the filets seam-side down on the baking sheet. Brush the top and sides of each with the egg wash. If desired, use the back of a knife or pizza cutter to create long diagonal, cross-hatched lines on the surface. Make sure not to cut through the dough. Sprinkle the top of each pastry with kosher salt.
- Bake – Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake until the pastry is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 125°F (52ºC) for medium-rare or 130 to 135ºF (54 to 57ºC) for medium. This will take about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the beef wellingtons from the oven and allow them to rest on the sheet pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
- Mushroom Sauce – Using the pan with the steak drippings, heat over medium heat. If you did not save the pan, use a new pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add red wine to the pan. Whisk to deglaze and dissolve the brown bits.Add chopped shallots, stirring until the wine has reduced by half and you can no longer smell the alcohol, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of flour and whisk for 1 minute. Slowly add the beef stock by whisking in about a ¼ cup at a time until 1 cup is added. Simmer until a spoonable consistency, about 2 minutes.Add sliced mushrooms and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. The sauce will continue to reduce and thicken during this time. If needed, whisk in additional beef stock to thin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm on low heat until ready to serve.
- To Serve – Slice the beef wellingtons into medallions or serve whole with the mushroom sauce on the side.
Deb says
Made this for Christmas dinner and it was FABulous! Although it was time-consuming to create…the flavor and presentation were delightful and well-received by the entire family! I would definitely make this again.
The video steps were greatly appreciated also.
Jessica Gavin says
Thrilled to hear that you had success with the beef wellington video, and found the video helpful!
Debbie says
This recipe was excellent! My pastry wrapping skills need a bit of work but I guess that just means I need to make this more often to practice. :). Made for a lovely NYE dinner!
Shelly says
Hubby and I made these mini Wellingtons together on Valentine’s Day, and they came out perfect! Thank u for such detailed, yet simple instructions. We never thought ours would turn out as neat and professional-looking as yours, but they looked just like yours in the video. We’re so proud!
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so proud of you and your husband Shelly! I love that you made the wellingtons together and had success. Bravo!
Jennifer Crump says
This recipe is perfect. Read the recipe twice, watch the videos, have all the ingredients ready, (and the Saran Wrap!), do exactly as directed, and it’s perfect! What a splendid meal for a special occasion, and I’ve made it 3 times without a problem. I would give it 10 stars-
Jessica Gavin says
Great job! Thank you for making the recipe. I’m so glad that the recipe and video helped you master beef wellington!