Individual Beef Wellington
Individual Beef Wellington is a delicious and elegant meal for special occasions or holidays! You don’t have to be a star chef like Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver to make individual Beef Wellington! Start with one or two filet mignons and in minutes, you’ll be able to enjoy this British classic!
Beef Wellington is a steak dish of British origin that consists of a beef tenderloin wrapped in duxelles, Prosciutto di Parma ham (use Parma ham or Prosciutto) and then baked in a puff pastry. Duxelles (pronounced “duck-cell”) is finely chopped and sautéed mushrooms.
This recipe uses individually wrapped filet mignons in place of a whole tenderloin.
The classic version of Beef Wellington includes foie gras and duxelles coated and wrapped in ham, then baked in a puff pastry. Foie gras is illegal in many countries due to animal cruelty laws, so most contemporary recipes for Beef Wellington eliminate this ingredient.
Why this recipe works
- Simple ingredients – start with individual 7-8 ounce cuts of filet mignon or get a 2-3 pound tenderloin and slice it into individual portions
- Simple cooking method – sear the beef, wrap it, then a quick bake and you’re done!
Ingredients for individual Beef Wellington
You’ll need one 7-8 ounce filet per person and two slices of prosciutto per filet, one pound of mushrooms, a package of puff pastry and one egg and a little water (for the egg wash.)
How to make it
Here’s an overview of the steps in making individual Beef Wellington. These same steps apply to a whole beef tenderloin as well. See Recipe Card below for details.
- Make the duxelles: sauté finely chopped mushrooms and seasonings until there is no visible liquid; remove from pan and set aside
- Add a little bit of oil to a hot skillet and sear the beef tenderloins all the way around; remove from pan and immediately coat with Dijon mustard and set aside
- Assemble : place plastic wrap on counter; place two pieces of prosciutto on the plastic; apply a thin layer of duxelles on the proscioutto.
- Place beef in the center, fold the ham around the beef; roll the plastic wrap over the filet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, roll out the pastry dough onto plastic wrap, cut the dough just about 2 inches larger than the size of the beef filet
- Place the filet on the puff pastry and gently roll it; tuck the ends in and trim any excess pastry dough; roll into plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 15 minutes.Preheat oven to 425°F
- Remove and lightly coat with egg wash; use a sharp knife to score the top of the pastry (for design)
- Place individual beef wellington on broiler pan and place on middle rack for 15-20 minutes
- Cook until internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium rare; allow to rest, tented with foil, for 5-8 minutes; (during this resting time, the internal temperature will increase to 135°F), slice with serrated knife and serve
Recipe Tips
- For best results, pulse the mushrooms in a food processor
- Keep the puff pastry cool, but not cold: Puff pastry “puffs” best when it’s slightly cool and the oven is HOT
- Don’t over -sear the meat if you like your beef medium-rare
- Coat the beef with Dijon mustard right after you sear it
- Try to wrap the puff pastry smoothly; if there’s any wrinkles in the raw pastry, there will be wrinkles in the baked pastry
- After the individual Beef Wellington is assembled, it is important to return it to the refrigerator so the puff pastry can chill. Puff pastry “puffs” better when it’s a little bit cool.
Checking for doneness
Since every oven is different, the best way to determine if your individual Beef Wellington is done is to use an accurate meat thermometer.
- Rare is 125°F
- Medium -rare is 135°F
- Medium is 145°F
- Medium-well is 150°F
You’re going to let the tenderloins rest for 5-8 minutes after you cook them and during that time, the temperature of the meat will increase.
For best results, remove the Beef Wellington when it is about 8-10 degrees UNDER your desired degree of doneness. For instance, if you want a medium-rare Beef Wellington, remove it from the oven when the internal temperature is around 125°F.
Serving suggestions
This delicious and impressive dish pairs well with Brussels Sprouts with Horseradish Cream Sauce, French Onion Soup, or a vegetable such as asparagus, broccoli, or Ratatouille.
Make ahead
You can make the Duxelles (sauteed mushrooms) 3-5 days in advance and store them in a secure container in the fridge. Other than that, that’s about all you can make ahead of time.
Storage and reheating
If you have any individual Beef Wellington leftover, store it securely wrapped in foil for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. When ready to reheat, turn oven to 200°F, place foil wrapped beef in oven for about 15-20 minutes.
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Individual Beef Wellington
Ingredients
- 2 7-8 ounce beef tenderloin filets or filet mignon
- 1-2 tablespoons oil , for searing tenderloin and sauteeing mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper each
- 4 slices Prosciutto
- 1 pint mushrooms, finely chopped , for best results, pulse in food processor
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground thyme (or about 5 sprigs of fresh thyme – pull the little sprigs off the stem first:)
- 1 sheet puff pastry, cut in half
- 1 large egg, for pastry wash
- 1 teaspoon water, for pastry wash
Instructions
- Lightly season beef tenderloins with a sprinkle of salt and pepper; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate2 7-8 ounce beef tenderloin filets or filet mignon, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper each
- In a medium saucepan, add a little oil, finely chopped mushrooms, onion powder, garlic powder and thyme; cook on medium heat 5-6 minutes or until most of the moisture is gone from the mushrooms; plate and set aside1-2 tablespoons oil, 1 pint mushrooms, finely chopped, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
- In a heavy bottom skillet, add a little oil and bring stove to medium-high heat1-2 tablespoons oil
- Sear the tenderloins on both sides and edges for about 1 minute2 7-8 ounce beef tenderloin filets or filet mignon
- Remove beef from heat and brush Dijon mustard on filets; set aside2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Place a layer of plastic wrap on the counter; place 2 slices of prosciutto per filet in a perpendicular fashion on the plastic; add ¼ cup of mushroom mixture on top of the prosciutto – flatten it with a spoon4 slices Prosciutto
- Place the filet on the mushroom mixture; pull up the sides of the prosciutto to wrap the filet; set aside
- Roll out one puff pastry sheet; cut it in half; place the prosciutto wrapped filet on the pastry; use the plastic wrap to roll the pastry around the dough, creating a smooth exterior; trim excess dough; crimp and tuck edges of dough to seal the beef entirely in the dough1 sheet puff pastry, cut in half
- Tightly twist ends of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes
- Turn oven to 425° F; remove filets from refrigerator, apply the egg wash and gently score the top with a sharp knife; place on broiler pan and bake on middle rack 15 minutes See Recipe Notes1 large egg, for pastry wash, 1 teaspoon water, for pastry wash
- To check for doneness, insert meat thermometer into the side of the Beef Wellington, making sure to get the probe to the center of the meat; for medium-rare,
Notes
- Rare is 125°F
- Medium -rare is 135°F
- Medium is 145°F
- Medium-well is 150°F
Just as I made for Prince Charles when I was 1 of the head chefs at the royal naval college at Dartmouth. Prob about 18 to 20 years ago.
Wonderful time when he made a visit.!! 😊
Tried this recipe and my husband loved it. Will definitely make again.