The Gourmet Cookbook calls this recipe the 21-century beef wellington. What makes it 21-century, you may ask? Notably, substitute a traditional pâté de foie gras and mushroom duxelles on the fillet of beef encased in pastry with a cilantro walnut filling. Meanwhile, the pastry and the beef tenderloin stand with the old-world tradition, the way they’ve always been.
I can see why the decision to modernize makes sense. The 21-century food paradigm emphasizes a healthy diet and a sustainable food culture. It’s sensible to eat more whole grains, fantastic fiber, plant-based cuisine, and beneficial probiotics. Who could argue against the favorable environmental impact of consuming less red meat, while supporting organic and local growers. I get it and embrace it.
However, there are truly grand occasions that are worthy of deviating from our everyday arrangement — like Christmas. Since we are celebrating, let’s bring out the splendid beef wellington and, perhaps, a bottle of wine. In addition, there are changes in the social scene in the 21st century that compel sharing around the dining table.
This recipe looks like a big production for a small family gathering. Before I go full throttle, I want to experiment making just two individual pieces of beef wellington, for 2 to 4 servings. Nowadays the food scene has shifted to small plates and tapas-style to encourage grazing and sharing. Now, we won’t have to move past the appetizers. So let’s downsize the portion.
I opt to use store-bought puff pastry, which is far too complicated to produce in a home kitchen. Now, the job becomes so much more simple to do. All that’s left is to make the cilantro walnut filling in the food processor. The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead.
To proceed with the beef wellington assembly, I start with rolling out and cutting two rounds of puff pastry. Put them in a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush a decent amount of the cilantro walnut fillings in the center. Place a piece of seared beef tenderloin on top. Brush the edge of the pastry with egg wash. Then gather the dough edge over the top of the beef and seal it seam-side up. Take extra care the meat package is wrapped tightly; you shouldn’t be able to see the meat inside. Now flip the assembly (or seam-side down). Tuck the bottom of the dough to form a taut round package. For good measure, I put a vent hole on top. Finally, brush the dough evenly with egg wash.
To mitigate a soggy pastry bottom, I preheat two small cast-iron pans in the oven. When it’s time to bake, I place the pastries in the preheated pans. Next time, I’d put some roughly ground walnut all around the bottom of the pastry (or the top before flipping), as an insurance policy to ensure a crispy bottom.
I can’t go by the recipe’s directions since I’m making a quarter of the amount. Bake the beef wellington at 400°F until the pastry is golden brown seems obvious. But how do I know the beef is cooked to the intended degree of doneness when the pastry turns brown? I won’t want to ruin an expensive cut of meat.
Consider deploying the instant-read thermometer. This is absolutely indispensable in order to get the guesswork out of the exercise. Insert the thermometer diagonally 2 inches into the center of the meat. Bake until the meat registers 115°F. (It takes about 30 minutes, much shorter than I’ve expected.) Let the beef rest, uncovered for 25 minutes before cutting it open. The meat will continue to cook, reaching 125°-130°F for medium rare.
I was skeptical from the beginning how it would all turn out. That’s partly because I’ve never made beef wellington before, and partly because of the costly ingredients. The moment of truth comes when I cut open the pastry. Everything looks awesome, colorful — and modern in the context of the 21 century. If there is any flaw, I’d say the pastry could be flakier, especially at the bottom.
Twenty-First Century Beef Wellington with a Cilantro Walnut Filling
Ingredients
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for the cooking water
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 3 cups packed cilantro leaves and tender stems (from 2 large bunches; about 2 1/4 ounces)
- 2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems (from 1 large bunch; about 1 1/2 ounces)
- About 7 ounces (2 cups walnut pieces (about 7 ounces), toasted (see NOTE)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh finely ground plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- FOR THE PASTRY:
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
- 20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups very cold sour cream
- 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
- FOR THE BEEF AND ASSEMBLY:
- One 4 1/2-to 5-pound center cut beef tenderloin roast (about 16 inches long and 3 inches in diameter), trimmed, tied with string if necessary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Flour, for the work surface
Instructions
FOR THE FILLING:
Have a large bowl of ice water at hand.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of salt, then the spinach; cook for 30 seconds; add the cilantro and parsley and cook for 10 seconds. Pour into a colander to drain, then quickly transfer to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain in a colander, then remove the mixture in small handfuls, squeezing to eliminate as much water as possible.
Pulse the walnuts in a food processor just until finely ground. Add the spinach mixture along with the garlic, bread crumbs, honey, egg whites, the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, the ground cumin and coriander and the pepper; pulse just until smooth, with the consistency of a thick pesto. The filling can be made up to 2 days in advance, covered and refrigerated.
FOR THE PASTRY:
Lightly flour a work surface.
Combine the 3 1/4 cups of flour, the butter and salt in a bowl and use your fingertips or a pastry blender (or use a food processor) to blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-size lumps. Add the sour cream and stir with a fork (or pulse in the processor) just until incorporated. Drizzle evenly with 4 tablespoons of the ice water and gently stir (or pulse) until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful of dough; if it doesn't hold together, add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) just until incorporated.
Turn the mixture out onto the floured work surface and divide it into 4 equal portions. Use the heel of your hand to smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute the fat. Gather the portions of dough together and form them into a single 4-by-5-inch rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
FOR THE BEEF AND ASSEMBLY:
Pat the tenderloin dry. Cut it in half crosswise and sprinkle it all over with the salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Working with one piece at a time as needed, add the beef and sear, turning it with tongs, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter. Remove any string.
Lightly whisk the egg and water together to form an egg wash.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a 15-by-19-inch rectangle; it should be slightly less than 1/4-inch thick. If you plan to decorate the pastry crust, cut a 1-inch strip of dough from a short end and refrigerate it. Place the dough rectangle lengthwise on a large baking sheet, letting the excess hang over the ends. Spread a generous 1/4 of the filling down the middle of the dough, forming a 3-by-16-inch strip. Lightly pat the beef pieces dry, arrange them end to end on the filling, and spread them with the remaining filling mixture to cover completely. Brush the border of the dough with the egg wash, then fold up the long sides of the dough to enclose the beef tightly and completely, reserving any excess, and press the seam to seal. Fold up the short ends and seal the edges, cutting off any excess and reserving it. Refrigerate any reserved dough pieces.
Line a large baking sheet (preferably rimmed) with parchment paper and invert it over the beef. Hold both baking sheets together and invert the beef so the pastry is now seam side down. Brush the dough evenly with the egg wash. Cut out decorative shapes from the reserved, chilled pastry dough, if desired, and arrange them on the dough, pressing gently to adhere. Brush the decorations with the egg wash. Use the tip of a small paring knife or the point of a skewer to make small steam holes or vents every 3 inches across the top of the pastry. Loosely cover the assembled Wellington and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the Wellington from the refrigerator and bake (middle rack) for 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the sheet front to back after about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 115 degrees. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the beef Wellington rest for 25 minutes before slicing. (It will continue to cook, reaching 125 to 130 degrees for medium-rare.)
NOTE: To toast the walnuts, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven, stirring once or twice, for about 8 to 12 minutes or until they darken and smell toasty. Check frequently; nuts can burn quickly.
Notes
Adapted from "The Gourmet Cookbook," edited by Ruth Reichl (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006).
3 Comments
Kim Tracy
December 29, 2019 at 6:49 pmOh my goodness, this looks glorious! I love how you made individual wellingtons. I wonder if you preheated the cast iron in the oven and then placed the wellington on the hot skillet if it would do the job to crisp up the bottom? Such a modern take on a classic. I just love this.
Shirley@EverOpenSauce
December 31, 2019 at 10:53 pmPreheating the cast iron pan is definitely one step in the right direction in crisping up the bottom. I would also roll out the pastry thinner so that there is less dough on the bottom.
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