Easy Ground Beef Wellington recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are common mistakes in Beef Wellington? ›

Overcooking: Overcooking the beef or having portions of the pastry get soggy are common issues. To prevent overcooking, it is essential to sear the beef tenderloin quickly before wrapping it in puff pastry. This ensures that the beef remains tender and juicy [3].

Brushing an egg wash on the inside of the pastry can also help form a barrier while it cooks. And last, don't forget to cut diagonal slashes every inch or so down the pastry to allow steam to vent while the Wellington is baking. This will prevent a build up of moisture.

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.

Browning the beef gives it complexity and meaty depth. 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 a steak dish of English origin, made out of fillet steak coated with pâté (often pâté de foie gras) and duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry, then baked.

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.

How do you keep the bottom of Beef Wellington from getting soggy? 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.

This moisture typically comes from a combination of the juices that seep out of the tenderloin as it cooks and using mushrooms that are too watery. Excess moisture doesn't make the beef extra juicy. Instead, it prevents the puff pastry from fully crisping up, ultimately causing the crust to get soggy.

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.

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.

Can you prepare Beef Wellington the night before? ›

If you prefer, you can make the various stages up to 24 hours ahead, but don't assemble it then as the pastry will start to discolour. Brown the beef, make the duxelles (fried mushrooms), then wrap separately in cling film and store in the fridge (wrapping the fillet tightly helps it keep its shape).

Cut 4 (2-inch) vents in top of pastry. Cook's Tip: Use any excess dough to decorate Wellington. Bake in 425°F oven 35 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium. Transfer Beef Wellington to carving board.

But on top of its tedious cooking process, beef Wellington is also expensive. The dish typically calls for beef tenderloin, the tender cut of beef that filet mignon comes from, in addition to pricey prosciutto. With these high-priced meats, beef Wellington isn't exactly budget-friendly.

Mustard – Only Dijon mustard will do for the best flavor by completely brushing it on and around the hot seared beef. However, some would argue and recommend an English mustard since beef Wellington is a British recipe. Crepes – Using thin crepes creates a base to place the prosciutto and duxelles on.

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.

Like many famous meals, the exact origin of Beef Wellington is unknown, though it was most likely inspired by a handful of places and cultures. The widely accepted story is that it was created to celebrate Arthur Wellesley, Irish general of the British army, becoming the first Duke of Wellington—hence the name.

Considerable confusion surrounds the origin of beef Wellington. One version that seems more legend than fact attributes it to a cook for the famed duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley), the English general who defeated the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Beef Wellington is a nice cut of meat, usually a fillet steak, beef tenderloin, or filet mignon. It uses the center-cut portion of the meat that is known to be the most tender and juicy part of the cow.