Ingredients
- 3 lb center-cut beef tenderloin
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 lb cremini mushroom, minced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Let the beef tenderloin come to room temperature. Season with kosher salt and pepper on all sides.
- Add canola oil to a large pan on high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tenderloin. Without moving the tenderloin, cook until a dark brown crust forms, about 3 minutes. Repeat searing on all sides, including the tenderloin ends.
- Remove the tenderloin from the pan and transfer to a cutting board or wire rack to cool. Once cool, wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate.
- To the same pan, add the butter, mushrooms, minced shallot, and minced garlic over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid evaporates and the mushroom mixture becomes a thick, dry-like paste.
- Remove the mushrooms from the pan and let cool completely.
- Line a pan with partment paper. Unwrap the chilled tenderloin and place it in the center of the pan. Spoon all the mushrooms on top. Lay the puff pastry over the top. The original recipe had you wrap the pastry all the way around the tenderloin but I found that the pastry on the bottom became soggy. Everyone liked the crispier pastry laid across the top of the tenderloin.
- Brush the surface with the beaten egg
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the puff pastry is a dark golden brown and the internal temperature of the beef is 135°F (57°C) for medium-rare.
Varriation:
The original recipe called for ½ lb prosciutto or ham, thinly sliced to wrap the tenderloin in. I tried it with the prosciutto on Christmas 2017 but didn’t find that it added any flavor. Cutting it out would also help save a bit of money. If you wish to try it with the prosciutto or ham, simply follow the steps below in lieu of step 7 above.
- Place a large layer of overlapping sheets of plastic wrap on your work surface that is twice the length and width of the tenderloin. Lay overlapping strips of prosciutto on the plastic into an even square layer.
- Spread a layer of the mushrooms evenly over the prosciutto. Center the tenderloin on top.
- Tightly and evenly wrap the tenderloin with the prosciutto, using the plastic wrap to wrap it even tighter and seal ends. Tie the ends of the plastic wrap together to hold the Wellington’s shape. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Place a new layer of plastic wrap on the work surface and lay a sheet of puff pastry over it. Unwrap the prosciutto-wrapped beef tenderloin onto the puff pastry. Wrap the puff pastry around the tenderloin until the ends meet. Cut off any extra puff pastry, making sure there is no overlap. .Wrap the puff pastry in plastic wrap, tying the ends together to form a log shape. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.