Beef Wellington when perfectly executed highly impresses me. For years I was intimidated to make one. My goal is to show you how to make Beef Wellington so it much less intimidating. Beef Wellington is a luxurious dish where puff pastry is wrapped around beef tenderloin then sliced into portions to serve. But it is more than that. There are different layers of flavor within the Wellington that make it truly spectacular. Make no mistake though, it’s a fabulous to dish to make year round.
I have seen a number of different beef Wellington recipes throughout my years. You start doing all the steps and assume that if you follow the directions, that you should be left with a perfect result. I’m here to tell you that this often isn’t the case sadly. I wanted to call this article “The Realist’s Guide to Beef Wellington” but I came to my senses. It is a labor of love making Beef Wellington but it is absolutely worth it. Give yourself plenty of time and don’t try to rush things. Take the time to learn the helpful tips in this guide and it will make all the difference. I have received so much joy from people who have used this guide and had great success.
My biggest problem in the past has been overcooking it or having portions of the pastry get soggy. I’ll explain why that happened and how you can prevent it. There are a few helpful tips and tricks I’ve learned along my culinary journey that I feel are worth sharing.
Bake until pastry is golden brown and center of roast registers 110°F (43°C) for rare or 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer, 35 to 45 minutes.
Working With Puff Pastry
The goal with puff pastry to to keep it cool. I often will defrost mine in the refrigerator overnight. Typically I find that within 4 hours the pastry will be ideal to work with. If you go to unfold the puff pastry and it is rigid, let it warm up on your countertop until it is pliable enough to work with. Dust your work surface with just a little bit of flour to keep the dough from sticking. Remember, that dough has a bunch of layers within it so be gentle with it.
I like to roll my dough out on a silicone mat dusted with just a bit of flour. However, doing it right on your countertop is okay as well. I use the silicone mat so once the dough is rolled out to an ideal size, I can easily pop it back in the refrigerator to keep it cool.
To get that beautiful golden color on the pastry, an egg wash is applied to the pastry dough prior to baking. An egg wash of just a beaten egg or egg mixed with just a small amount of water will work. On my Wellington I just use all egg.
When making Beef Wellington, you can make the pastry as simple or decorative as you like. For years I just put the base wrap on it and then used scraps of dough to make simple decorations. Other times I just simply scored the pastry a bit with a paring knife and baked it just like that. I’ve always wanted to do a lattice and finally accomplished that with the help of a lattice cutter. They are available online and though making the lattice with a cutter is still a bit tricky, it certainly is doable.
What Temperature Should I Pull It Out Of The Oven?
The million dollar question and the reason a lot of people mess up when making Beef Wellington is what temperature to pull it out of the oven. In my article about cooking a standing rib roast, I discuss carryover cooking. That is, a rise in internal temperature of the meat after removing it from the heat whether an oven, grill, or stove.
The important lesson to learn here is that the higher the temperature you cook a piece of beef, and the larger it is, the greater the temperature will rise upon resting after the cook. The most basic answer as to why this happens is that the cooler inside of the meat is forming an equilibrium with the warmer outside. In simple terms, that heat makes the inside temperature of the beef go up.
So what on earth do we do now? How do you estimate the rise in temperature so you don’t overcook it? It’s a fine dance. You need the meat to rest so when you cut into it, all the juice won’t run out. That’s the last thing we want to happen, especially when puff pastry is involved. This is where I got into trouble in the past. I underestimated the big temperature rise after pulling it from the oven.
For medium rare beef I want a finished temperature of 130-135°F. I remember cooking a Beef Wellington last December thinking pulling it at 115°F was conservative. The beef unfortunately ended up being about 140°F. What’s the old saying about fooling someone? Oh yes, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”. I wasn’t letting that happen again. Some recipes say to pull at 110°F and although that may have been okay, this was a 3lb tenderloin roast, I pulled at 105°F. This was the lowest I’ve ever pulled a piece of beef out of an oven or grill. What’s the worst that happens, I borderline cook it rare?
I set the Beef Wellington on top of my stove, and didn’t touch that temperature probe that was in it. If I pulled it out the juice would come with it. Think of it like a stopper. Don’t touch it! I needed it to stay in the beef to watch how fast the temperature would climb and what temperature it would climb to. I sat there watching my phone as the number kept climbing.
Would you believe that over the course of 30 minutes when the temperature finally stopped climbing, the beef measured 135°F. Let me say that again. This Wellington rose a full 30 degrees upon being removed from the oven. If I pulled it at 110°F, it would have hit 140°F. I was honestly shocked. I did it. At last, a perfect medium rare Beef Wellington. If there is any nugget of information you take from this article, that would be the most important one. What’s the worst that happens if you don’t quite high enough to the target temperature you want? As long as you didn’t cut the Wellington, stick it back in the oven for a few more minutes. No harm no foul.
Now remember, I reached 135°F because I let it rest a full 30 minutes. If I would have only let it rest 15 minutes and wasn’t monitoring the temperature, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near that. Something also to note, my Wellington and the additional layer of puff pastry for the lattice on it providing an extra layer of insulation. The accuracy of your oven, the size of the roast, the thickness of the puff pastry, the thickness of the duxelles all will affect the length of the cook and the carryover cooking. When it comes to cooking meat, I always say, you can cook it more but you can’t go backwards.
Mastering Beef Wellington
FAQ
Does Beef Wellington have to be rare?
Is Beef Wellington rare or well done?
Should Beef Wellington be pink?
Is Beef Wellington meant to be raw?
Is Beef Wellington a waste of time?
When you’re making an elaborate dish such as beef Wellington, the stakes are high: Anything less than juicy, rosy meat and a crisp, golden crust signals a disappointing waste of time and money. The conundrum is that well-browned pastry requires high heat, whereas medium-rare meat is generally produced via a low-and-slow approach.
How long does Beef Wellington last?
One pro tip, if you’re short on time when making your Beef Wellington: You can make your duxelles mixture in advance, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator, where it will last three to four days. When you’re ready to make your dish, simply reheat it on low and proceed with the next steps in the recipe.
What is Beef Wellington?
Made with layers of prosciutto and a special mushroom mix lovingly wrapped around a juicy beef tenderloin, all bundled up together in puff pastry, Beef Wellington is a great dish to serve at dinner parties or on special occasions.
What makes a good beef Wellington?
A well-made Beef Wellington sounds rich and delicious, but the quality of your raw materials makes a big impact on the dish’s final taste. A lot of the flavor associated with a great Beef Wellington derives from picking high-quality ingredients, especially the beef, mushrooms, and puff pastry that form the core parts of the dish.