Making the Ultimate Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington

One of the most challenging recipes I've done to date is the Beef Wellington. It's a recipe that has intrigued me ever since I heard Gordon Ramsay berate someone on Hell's Kitchen for making it wrong.

Both Brian and I had agreed that this was one recipe we couldn't do over Skype. But it was one that I said I would make for him during his next visit home. So I did!

I turned to Serious Eats, a site I've spoken of previously, for their often tried-and-true, step-by-step recipes. True enough, they had one for the Ultimate Beef Wellington, and judging from the name alone, I should have been quivering in the knees.

A thorough review of the recipe (I can't deny my OCD) told me what I already knew: It was going to be a multiday process, one that would later involve me making trips to St. Lawrence Market for the meat, LCBO for the liquor, and Metro for everything else.

Speaking of ingredients...

The meat

I got my centre-cut beef tenderloin from one of the vendors in the upper level of the market. It wasn't the best of cuts, especially with that bulging piece of muscle, but it was a deal compared to the other vendors in the market.

I've never had cognac in my life. But I imagine I wouldn't be a fan of it, so I went with rum for the liquor component of the dish. I bought a small bottle from the LCBO along Front St. 

During my grocery run, I pretty much picked up the remaining ingredients as listed. However, I went with one type of mushroom, and I didn't bother with the truffles or the foie gras. Not yet anyway; maybe for my next Wellington. ;)

Cooking the beast 

Searing the beef was easy enough, as was the rest of the recipe for that matter. For me, the real kicker to making Beef Wellington is the time it takes to make it. The recipe had so many components; I was beat by the Wellington eve's end. Thank God for my mom's food processor. Otherwise, I would have probably dropped dead chopping mushrooms. The one treat, the one consolation to that late night cooking session was the heavenly aroma of the duxelles. I was in love. They smelled so amazing; I would have eaten them on their own. ;) Even just thinking of them makes my mouth water. :P Hmmmm, duxelles... Dreaming of duxelles...

The following evening, I finished the recipe off exactly as Serious Eats had written, placing it in the oven with the thermometer stuck in the middle of the beef and my fingers tightly crossed. Please work, I thought. Please taste good... 

The results 

Sleep-deprived and excited

I realized soon after I took the Wellington out that I had rolled the crust too thin. To my disappointment, it had split down the middle during the baking process. :( That being said, it still looked good for a first attempt, and taste-wise, it was quite good. The first few cuts were medium to medium-well and grew rarer the closer we got to the centre.

Coming from a family that, at most, would eat steak cooked medium, I feel a little (a lot) tinge of sadness whenever I think of the fate that befell the remaining Wellington. I am ashamed to admit that the fact that it was heavy and that it was rare meant that it spent a lot of time in the fridge–unnoticed–until it had to be tossed. :(

It was heartbreaking. But it was no less a great experience for so unseasoned a cook. It brought me a lot of joy to make and a lot of appreciation from Brian, who claimed his "one free meal" voucher that evening. :) 

I learned a lot this time around and can only expect Beef Wellington 2.0 to be even better. :) Until then. xoxo