Easy Ground Beef Wellington recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are common mistakes in Beef Wellington? ›

Tying the tenderloin improves both the appearance of the final dish, and leads to more even cooking. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Consider crepes in your beef Wellington crust

If you're still worried about your beef Wellington turning out soggy, or if you want the crust to be extra crispy, take it from Gordon Ramsay and incorporate crepes in your recipe.

Place slices of beef wellington on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Cover loosely with foil. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

We'll cook the Wellington at 425°F (218°C) to puff the pastry. But we needn't fear that our beef will overcook too quickly because once the pastry is puffed, it literally becomes a coat of insulation for the meat: all those air pockets slow the flow of heat from the outside to the beef and prevent it from scorching.

The classic wellington recipes wrap the beef and mushroom mixture in crepes (thin pancakes) before the puff pastry coating as the crepes act as a barrier, absorbing any moisture from the beef and mushrooms and allowing the pastry to bake properly in the oven.

Yes, you can prepare Beef Wellington ahead of time. You can assemble the Wellington, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight.

Why put a crepe in Beef Wellington? ›

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.

A large center cut piece of beef tenderloin is used to make Beef Wellington. Beef tenderloin is the muscle that individual filet mignon steaks are cut from. A whole beef tenderloin however is fatter in the middle and tapered toward the ends. You can think of it as the center cut of tenderloin.

A typical beef Wellington at a restaurant may cost you around $100 and can feed 2 people. Since the tenderloin was pre-seared and the puff pastry needs to bake and turn golden brown, the lowest temperature you could even serve it at is rare, which comes in at around 115° internally.

The pastry should be golden brown and brittle when it's ready. You can check the core temperature of the beef with your meat thermometer - for a succulent pink Wellington, it should be 54°C after resting for 10 minutes, so we suggest that you remove it from the oven when it reaches 50°C.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper so it doesn't stick to the pan (and it makes cleaning easier). Place the desired amount of beef wellington on the lined baking sheet and loosely cover with aluminum foil, which ensures the puff pastry gets crispy without burning.

Chill for at least 30 mins and up to 24 hrs. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

Beef Wellington is a dish that can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and baked from fully chilled.