Beef. It's What's for Dinner.

Yep.  I am the world's best fiancee!  Well, at least that's what the future hubs tells me.  He'd been working all day on a hog roaster/smoker for our big party we have at the end of July.  So, I decided to treat him to, what has become, one of his favorite meals.  


Meaning...it wasn't a favorite until about a month ago when I made it for our anniversary.  Then, he says, "We MUST have this again!"  I guess you watch enough Gordon Ramsay and you start to crave the deliciousness that Chef is well-known for.  


So, here it is...Beef Wellington.  Make it.  You won't regret it. (I also made Whiskey-Glazed Carrots which you can find on the Pioneer Woman's site here as well as whole wheat french bread which we grilled.)

Look delicious enough?  It's a pastry puff, stuffed with a mixture of portabella mushrooms, onions, and red wine with a tender, juicy filet!  Mmm! 

Here's what you need:

2 beef filets (mine are about 2" thick), portabella mushrooms (I used 2 of those containers), onion, EVOO, salt, red wine (I used 337 Cabernet Sauvignon--because it was open) and a little S&P.  You will also need 2 puff pastries -in case you didn't know what the notecard said.  I'm ridiculous. 

A little note about the puff pastries.  You can buy then in the freezer section.  Pepperidge Farms sells them in a 2 pack.  However, I decided to make my own using a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com.  If you're feeling spunky and have nothing to do all day, then by all means!  You can find the recipe here.  I only needed 2 pastries so I adjusted the yield to 6. They turned out perfect!

Ok.  Onward!

Drizzle some EVOO on the filets.  Sprinkle on a little S&P.  Bake at 425*F for 15 minutes.

I used my roasting rack to keep them from sitting on the bottom, but you don't have to.

When they come out, they look like this:

You'll want to wrap them in foil and stick 'em in the fridge.  


Yep.  You heard right. They'll continue to cook a little, but a proper Beef Wellington is served at medium.  Plus, they'll get cooked again at the end.


While the beef is chillin' in the fridge, you'll want to chop up your mushrooms and onion.  I used my blender because I'm too lazy to assemble the food processor. 

You don't want them to become a paste, but more of a "coarse crumb" type texture.  


I had to do mine in 3 batches.


And this picture sucks.  But, whatevs.

Drizzle some olive oil in a skillet.  Then add a couple tablespoons of butter.

Add the mushroom/onion mixture and prepare for a delicious aroma to fill the kitchen!


You want the mushrooms and onions to cook down until all the water has been cooked off.
Once that happens...

Add in some red wine!  Or, in my case....

A LOT of red wine!  

And be sure to grab yourself a glass while you're at it.  

Cuz, after all this, you deserve it.   And, you're almost done.


While the red wine is reducing in the mushroom/onion mixture, (yep, you'll want all that deliciousness to cook off...but believe me, you'll be able to taste it), go ahead and roll out your puff pastry.  Oh, and remove your steaks from the fridge. 

Oh, and I advise you that BEFORE you fill the pastry, place it on parchment paper, or your pan.  You'll thank me later.  There's nothing worse than a puff pastry, filled with goodness, stuck to a counter!


Spoon some of the mushroom mixture onto the bottom of the pastry.


Then, place your steak on the mushroom mix and spoon on more mushroom mixture.  I'm lame and was so involved in what I was doing I forgot to take a pic.

Wrap the steaks up in the pastry.  You may have to cut some of the dough to make everything fold nicely.  If you're feeling spunky, flip the folded side down on the pan.  

I was lazy.  And enjoying my wine.

Also, use any extra pastry dough to wrap up any extra mushroom mixture.  Pure yumminess!

Make an egg wash and coat the outside of the Wellingtons.  Pop into a 425*F oven for 20 minutes.

Viola!

Enjoy!  

Now, I must note, I made 2.  The fiancé and I actually split just one of these and it was more than enough.  We also shared one of the "mushroom balls".  We ended up reheating the left overs in the oven at 200-250*F  for about 10-20 minutes.  (Truth be told, I can't exactly remember the time and temp.)  The beef was more of a medium well but still super tender and juicy!

I also followed up this meal with his favorite dessert:

Chocolate Mousse.  He ate all his.  I think I maybe consumed about 1/5 of mine.  Rich, delicious and wasn't a total flop like my first attempt a few months ago.  


If you're interested, I used David Lebovitz recipe he adapted from Julia Child.  Only I didn't have coffee.  I used Kahlua.  And instead of rum, I used Kahlua's partner in crime, Bailey's.  Otherwise, it's all the same.


Alright....For the recipe, here ya go!

Beef Wellington
Serves: 2
Time: 1 hr 30 min


Ingredients:
2 beef filets or tenderloins
2 small containers baby portabella mushrooms (washed and de-stemmed)
1 medium onion
2 T butter
olive oil
red wine (cabernet, merlot, or the like)
salt and pepper
2 puff pastries


Preheat oven to 425*F.  Drizzle filets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove.  Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate for about an hour.


Using a blender or food processor,  chop mushrooms and onion until it resembles a coarse crumb.


Heat skillet on medium-high heat.  Add about 1T olive oil and 2T butter.  When butter melts and is bubbly, add in mushroom and onion mixture.  Cook mixture until all the water has evaporated.  Add red wine.  (I added about a cup or so.)  Continue to cook until the wine has cooked off.


While wine is cooking off, roll out puff pastries to about 1/4" thickness.  Place onto baking pan lined with parchment paper.  


Remove steaks from fridge.


Spoon mushroom mixture onto the bottom of puff pastry.  Place steak onto mushroom mixture and top steak with more mushroom mix.  Fold pastry up over steaks, trimming pastry as needed.  (Be sure to pinch pastry so it doesn't come apart.)  Repeat for other steak.


Egg wash the tops of the pastries.  Bake at 425*F for 20 minutes.


Enjoy!