Tenderloin Roast Beef Wellington

Impress your guests and elevate your holiday dinner this year with this recipe for elegant Beef Tenderloin Wellington. A classic English tradition, this stunning main course centerpiece features seared Stemple Creek Ranch Beef Tenderloin brushed with Dijon mustard, then wrapped in  Parma ham, smothered in earthy mushroom duxelles, and baked to medium-rare perfection in a flakey, buttery puff pastry crust. 

Time consuming but not difficult, making Beef Wellington is well worth the effort--and we've simplified the process in this no-fail preparation that delivers big on flavor and WOW factor. With a little patience, anyone can master it.

Presenting your guests with this show-stopping main course will surely be the crowning glory of your holiday meal! 

Prep the Tenderloin: Pat dry, trim ends to form a log, and set aside ends for later use. 

Sear the Tenderloin: Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan and sear the roast until browned. Coat with Dijon mustard using a pastry brush

Make the Mushroom Duxelles: Pulse mushrooms in a food processor. Sauté the puree in a skillet until moisture evaporates.

Wrap tightly and chill.

Prepare the Puff Pastry: Roll out pastry dough and brush with egg wash.

Wrap the Roast: Place roast on the puff pastry, seal edges, and brush with egg wash. Chill briefly.

Score and Season: Place roast on foil-lined pan, lightly score pastry, and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake: Roast at 400°F for 35-40 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Holiday Beef Wellington (serves 8) 

prep & cook time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 3+ pound Stemple Creek Beef Tenderloin Roast, trimmed to 2 pounds.
• 6 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil (for searing beef) + 2 Tbl. (for mushrooms) 
• 2 pounds Crimini mushrooms
• 10 slices Parma ham
• 4 Tbl. Dijon mustard
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed to room temperature (allow 2-3 hours to thaw)
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• sea salt

1. Remove fresh or dethawed tenderloin roast from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Cut off the ends of the roast to make a log shape. Reserve ends for another use.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the tenderloin roast and sear on all sides until lightly browned. Remove to a large plate, and use a pastry brush to smear the roast with Dijon mustard on all sides. Set aside.
3. To make the mushroom duxelles, place the mushrooms in batches in a food processor, and pulse until coarsely pureed. Heat a large skillet over medium heat (add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to prevent mushrooms sticking). Transfer the coarsely pureed mushrooms to the heated skillet and saute, stirring occasionally, to release their moisture. Continue cooking and stirring until all the moisture has evaporated. Transfer the cooked duxelles to a large bowl and set aside.
4. To assemble the Wellington, spread 2 long sheets of overlapping plastic wrap side-by-side on your clean kitchen counter. Lay the thin Parma ham slices (slightly overlapping) down the center of the plastic wrap vertically. Next, spread an even layer of the mushroom duxelles over the ham. Lastly, lay the mustard coated tenderloin in the center, and carefully bring up each side of the plastic wrap over the tenderloin, encasing it inside the ham/duxelle mixture. Fold the ends of the plastic wrap over the top, and transfer the roast to a pan. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 400F. 
6. Place a pastry cloth on your countertop and add a light dusting of flour (to prevent puff pastry dough from sticking). Put softened puff pastry rectangles end-to- end on the cloth, and lightly roll out with a rolling pin so the dough sheet is large enough to wrap around the roast. Beat egg yolks until smooth, and brush the sides of the pastry dough with the egg wash. 
7. Remove the roast from the refrigerator. Gently unwrap the plastic, and transfer the roast to the center of the prepared puff pastry dough. Gently stretch the dough over the roast on all sides, then seal edges tightly with your fingers. Brush with additional egg wash all over and return to the refrigerator for 10 minutes more. 
8. Prepare a foil-lined roast pan. Brush foil with a little olive oil to prevent roast from sticking, and place roast on top. Lightly score the top surface of the pastry with a knife, and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
9. Place prepared roast on the center oven rack and bake for 35-40 minutes. It will be a perfect medium-rare! 
10. Remove from the oven and rest the roast for 15 minutes at room temperature before slicing.