Traditional Beef Wellington Recipe

This traditional Beef Wellington is one of those recipes that looks intimidating but becomes completely manageable once you understand the method. After making countless Wellingtons over the years, from dinner-party versions to cooking the world’s largest Beef Wellington, I’ve refined every step to ensure clean slices, a crisp pastry, and perfectly cooked beef every time. Follow this process, take your time, and you’ll end up with a show-stopping centerpiece that’s just as satisfying to make as it is to serve!

Prep Time2

Cook Time1

Total Time3

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: English

Keyword: beef wellington recipe, best beef wellington recipe, how to make beef wellington, traditional beef wellington recipe

Servings: servings

Equipment

1 Well-Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet
1 Food Processor
1 Large Sauté Pan
1 Blender
1 Nonstick or Well-Seasoned Skillet
Plastic Wrap
1 Rolling Pin
1 Lattice Cutter
1 Pastry Brush
1 Instant-Read Thermometer
1 Chilled Sheet Pan
1 Sharp Serrated Knife

Ingredients

For the Beef & Assembly

1 center-cut beef tenderloin chateaubriand
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoon neutral oil
¼ cup Dijon mustard
8 -10 thin slices prosciutto
2 sheet Dufour all-butter puff pastry chilled (not frozen)
6 egg yolk lightly beaten

Duxelles

1 ½ pound mixed mushrooms stemmed (crimini, shiitake, oyster, mitake, lion's mane, chanterelle, etc.)
⅛ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup chestnuts vacuum-packed or roasted
2 shallot peeled and quartered
3 clove garlic peeled
4 –5 sprig fresh thyme stems removed
¼ cup Madeira wine
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Crêpe

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted, plus more for the pan
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Red Wine Reduction

1 cup red wine
2 shallot sliced
1 clove garlic smashed
2 sprig fresh thyme
4 –5 black peppercorn
1 ½ cup beef or veal stock
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar or more to taste
salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep & Sear the Beef

Pat the beef dry, and season assertively with salt and pepper.
1 center-cut beef tenderloin, kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Heat a cast-iron skillet until smoking hot. Add neutral oil.
3 tablespoon neutral oil
Sear the tenderloin on all sides until deeply browned, about ten minutes total.
Transfer the tenderloin to a tray, and brush all over with Dijon mustard while warm.
¼ cup Dijon mustard
Let cool completely. Then, chill the tenderloin in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Duxelles

Working in batches if necessary, pulse the fresh mushrooms and dried porcini mushrooms in a food processor until very finely chopped.
1 ½ pound mixed mushrooms, ⅛ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
Add the mushroom mixture to the pan, cover it with a lid, and sweat the moisture out of the mushrooms.
While mushrooms sweat, pulse the chestnuts, shallots, garlic, and thyme until finely chopped.
½ cup chestnuts, 2 shallot, 3 clove garlic, 4 –5 sprig fresh thyme
Remove the lid from the mushrooms, and continue to cook until the mixture is mostly dry. Add the chopped aromatics and Madeira wine, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
¼ cup Madeira wine, Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is fragrant, dry, and darkened in color.
Let cool completely.

Make the Crêpes

In a blender, combine all crêpe ingredients and blend until smooth, 15-20 seconds.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Let the batter rest for 15-30 minutes at room temperature. This relaxes the gluten and helps the crêpes spread thinly and cleanly.
Heat a large nonstick or seasoned skillet over medium heat. Add the tiniest swipe of butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour in half of the batter (½ cup or 120 milliliters). Then, immediately swirl to coat the pan in a thin layer of batter.
Cook 45-90 seconds or until the edges start to lift and the underside is lightly golden.
Flip and cook for another 20-30 seconds.
Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan if needed.
Let the cooked crêpes cool completely before wrapping (warm crêpes will create steam, which leads to sogginess). **You can make these a day ahead — store between parchment layers in the fridge.

Wrap the Wellington

Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface.
Arrange the prosciutto slices into a rectangle large enough to fully wrap the beef.
8 -10 thin slices prosciutto
Spread a thin, even layer of duxelles over the prosciutto.
Place the crêpes on top, avoiding overlap.
Place the chilled tenderloin on the crêpes, and use the plastic wrap to roll the crêpes over the meat in a tight cylinder. Twist the ends to secure.
Chill 20-30 minutes, or ideally overnight, to help lock the shape of the Beef Wellington.

Prepare the Pastry

Dust a clean surface with flour.
Roll out one of the puff pastry sheets until it's ~⅛ inch (3 millimeter) thick, creating a neat rectangle.
2 sheet Dufour all-butter puff pastry
Remove the beef roll from the plastic wrap, and place it in the center of the pastry.
Wrap the beef roll tightly with the puff pastry, sealing the seams well. Trim any excess pastry.
Chill the beef while you prepare the lattice.
Roll the second pastry into another ⅛ inch (3 millimeter) thick rectangle. With a lattice cutter, score the pastry all over.
Remove the Beef Wellington from the refrigerator, brush it lightly with egg yolk, and add the lattice. Brush the top of the lattice dough with yolk again.
6 egg yolk
Chill the Beef Wellington for at least 10-15 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Do not exceed 30 minutes or the pastry may become soggy.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C), using a convection oven if possible.
Place the chilled Beef Wellington on a chilled sheet pan, and bake for one hour, or until the internal temp reaches 100-115°F (37-46°C) in the thickest part.
Rest 15-30 minutes before slicing to lock in the flavor and juices.

Make the Sauce

While the pastry cooks, combine the wine, shallot, garlic, thyme, and peppercorns in a small pot.
1 cup red wine, 2 shallot, 1 clove garlic, 2 sprig fresh thyme, 4 –5 black peppercorn
Simmer the mixture over medium heat until it reduces by half.
Add the stock, and continue to cook until the sauce reduces further and is glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
1 ½ cup beef or veal stock
Strain the sauce, whisk in cold butter, and finish with a splash of aged balsamic. Season to taste.
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar, salt

Plate

Slice the Beef Wellington cleanly with a sharp serrated knife.
Spoon the sauce on a plate first, then nestle a slice of Beef Wellington on top. Enjoy warm!

Video

Notes

*I don’t recommend doubling the ingredients for this recipe.

Storage: Beef Wellington is best enjoyed the day it’s baked. Store fully cooled leftovers loosely wrapped in foil in the refrigerator for up to two days. For the best results, reheat in the oven at 325°F (165°C) for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.

Nutrition