A Super Easy Beef Wellington Recipe [In A Pinch]

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This would be my second time making [clears throat to speak in a low, deep voice] Beef Wellington. Ah, the sophistication. It doesn’t hurt that it tastes amazing also. This super easy Beef Wellington recipe is perfect for newbies (like meeeee) who still want a taste of sophistication without all the complication.

Becaaaauuuusee, I’ve noticed such a negative stigma around Wellington. That it’s too complicated or too much work.

It’s really not. Er, rather, it is if you make it be! It can be time consuming, but most of all it’s about the cooking process. Beef Wellington is literally a huge slab of meat wrapped in pastry. The most difficult part of the process is actually cooking it – properly.  Hence if you’re spending upwards of $100 on a nice cut of meat, you better not overcook it!

HUGE tip: get yourself an oven meat thermometer (<—- like the one I have).

Particularly those think of Wellington as the perfect Holiday meal (which I will have to agree) but did you know there are so many other ways to make Wellington without a hefty chunk of meat and price tag? You could also use filet medallions!

Anyway, enough rambling. I simplified this recipe having made Beef Wellington for Christmas dinner. And by simplified I mean I didn’t use pastry – mainly because I couldn’t find it (I think I was late in the game since it was nearing Christmas) and used pie dough, instead.

I knowwwww, you might say I cut some corners, but listen. It still worked! I also didn’t baste the meat with mustard (because my husband is deathly opposed) and I just stuck with a handful of simple ingredients versus what a legit Wellington recipe calls for.

Guess what? It came out just as flaky, crispy, and delicious.

I will forewarn you – the end result photographs are sub-par. This is the result of numerous *adult* beverages on Christmas Day. Who wouldn’t want recipe AUTHENTICITY anyhow? Though be rest assured it tasted absolutely DIVINE.

A Super Easy Beef Wellington Recipe [In A Pinch]

theMRSingLink

Intimidation factor: a solid 6.5 for my simiplified recipe on Beef Wellington.The crucial part is actually cooking it – well, avoiding OVER-cooking it. Overall this Wellington recipe makes for a pretty "fancy" meal without all the worries and hassle.

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Course Beef, dinner, Main Course, Meat

Servings 7 people

Equipment

• Meat thermometer
• Cling wrap

Ingredients

  

• 3 lb center-cut beef tenderloin [again, or you can use filet mignon medallions for single-serving portions!]
• 6 cups white mushrooms
• 12-15 slices cured ham or prosciutto
• 2 pie crust doughs
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 clove fresh garlic
• 1 egg yolk
• salt + pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• **Guided photos for reference posted below the recipe instructions**
• Start by heating up a large cast iron skillet or pan on high with a nice drizzle of olive oil or butter, along with a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme (because in this moment flavor is EVERYTHING).

  You're going to be searing the beef on all sides, for no more than 2 minutes in total, so flip every 30 seconds or so. It helps create and lock in that extra flavor in the beef. *Be sure to even sear the ends, but know that you are not actually trying to "cook" the tenderloin.
• Once seared remove the beef and allow to rest. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Finely dice and mince your garlic, rosemary and thyme and add to your processor along with the sliced mushrooms. Processing is much easier, otherwise you will have to do by hand.

  You want the mushrooms to be ground finely without emulsifying it entirely – so like the consistency of ground beef. Pulse until you have the right texture. It's OK if you happen to still have small chunks of mushroom.
• Transfer to the same skillet you used for the beef and bring the heat to medium. Mushrooms contain a lot of water, so essentially you want to cook that out – about 7-8 minutes will do.

  This is where you will realize why you needed so many mushrooms – they shrink and shrivel like nobody's business. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a bowl. Set aside to cool.
• Have your cling wrap and a large flat surface ready! Eyeball measure the length of your tenderloin – you want at least 3-4 inches of extra cling wrap on the sides, so you may have to double it up the way I did. You want enough in length to roll and wrap your beef wellington, and you'll be doing this process twice over so be sure you have enough cling wrap to go around!
• At this point, you are going to be laying out your cured ham or prosciutto over the cling wrap. For this you will lay 2 columns of 6 slices (more or less depending on the size of your tenderloin), slightly overlapping the sides and the ends that meet in the middle.

  You will basically be encasing the beef in this delicious blanket, so be very careful when laying and not to break the delicate slices. That's why I said to have extra (more than 12 slices or so) in case you need to fill any gaps or broken pieces. Refer to the picture as to how to lay them in accordance to the position of the tenderloin.
• Back to those mushrooms, which if you noticed actually look less appetizing now more than ever. It's okay, you'll forget they're there. Spread them over the prosciutto in a thin even layer – there's no science to this, just leave a little room at the edges so there is no spillage.
• Now place the tenderloin at the center (as displayed in the picture). You want the beef to lay vertically if you layered your prosciutto horizontally.
• The rolling process is rather easy, just be sure to keep everything tight. The cling wrap is your friend, and is there to guide you and help keep the prosciutto intact. Be careful when peeling the cling wrap from the prosciutto because it will stick.

  NOTE: if you notice an awful stench coming from the tenderloin (which I have smelt every single time I've made wellington), I think it's the reaction between the mushroom and the prosciutto. It's nothing to worry – trust me – it will taste GREAT.
• Having a consistent shape of the tenderloin at this point because this will promote even cooking. Use the extra cling wrap on the sides to twist and tighten the mold. Once this is done, place in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
• Toss the cling wrap you used and repeat that process again for the second round of rolling.
• Now you'll be laying out your pie crust. Theses are round, obviously, and the original beef wellington recipe calls for "puff pastry". Which you can also use, but both times I have made beef wellington I have either, 1. had a really difficult time FINDING puffy pastry for some reason, and 2. find there to be nothing wrong with using the pie dough, TBH. You could also make your own, I guess? But eh, then this recipe would be null and void as being easy – so why complicate things.

  You will just need 2 pie crusts for this, and you'll need to spend a little time molding the two together to create a rectangular shape without handling the dough as much as possible. I simply use water and my fingers to conjoin the overlapped edges (it does the job).
• Unwrap the wellington from the fridge (it should be firm and easy to handle with being in the fridge) and place at the center of the dough. You will be rolling the wellington with the length of the dough (as displayed in the picture).
• Using your fingers and water, pinch the dough together on the sides. Close as many gaps and holes as you can and use the water to help conjoin the dough.
• Repeat the same process by clenching and twisting the sides of extra cling wrap to maintain its shape. Place the wellington back in the fridge for another 15 minutes, or until it is time to bake. You could also do this process a day or two in advanced before cooking.
• Preheat oven to 425F.  Place wellington on a pan or large casserole dish. Whisk egg yolk in a bowl and baste generously over the dough on all sides.
• COOK TIME AND MEAT TEMPERATURE IS CRUCIAL. This is where you will want to use a meat thermometer (placing it in from the end dead center into the meat).

  The last thing you want to be doing with a nice cut of meat like this is overcooking it, and with the meat already seared and the temperature at 425 – it shouldn't take more than 25 minutes to get a 3 pound beef tenderloin to a medium rare (or 135 degrees internal temperature). That is why I highly recommend you use a meat thermometer, because the temperature of the meat is the most important to gauge.

  Once the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees, take out of the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. 

  *Again, the end result pictures don't do it justice because they were taken after several cocktails Christmas Day, and I was just ready to EAT. But I can promise you it was DELISH.

Keyword Beef, Beef Wellington, holiday, Pastry