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.

One other approach is to bake "blind" a rectangle of puff pastry for the base before assembling the wellington. Cut a rectangle of pastry slightly larger than the beef for the base, prick it thoroughly with a fork and bake at 200c/400F for 20 minutes until golden.

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.

Wrap your beef tightly

This will help the exterior layer stay intact. Make sure you place the Beef Wellington with the "seam" side down on the tray, and brush the whole thing with egg wash before putting it in the oven.

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.

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).

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.

We skip the prosciutto and dijon mustard all together, and instead, we add a rich liver paté infused mushroom duxelles directly to the puff pastry. If liver paté isn't your thing, feel free to skip it and just add some cream cheese to the mushroom duxelles to make it spreadable.

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. Some recipes include wrapping the coated meat in a crêpe or dry-cured ham to retain the moisture and prevent it from making the pastry soggy.

Beef Wellington does just that. Beef with layers of duxelles, prosciutto and puff pastry add that special something to take this cut of beef over the top. There is one thing that beef tenderloin does have that other cuts do not. That is the soft mouthfeel of the beef.

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.

What do I serve with beef Wellington? Simple steamed or sautéed greens work perfectly well as a side for beef Wellington, especially with a good glug of homemade gravy drizzled over the top. Otherwise, creamy mashed potatoes make an even more indulgent Wellington side dish that tastes divine.