What is Beef Wellington?
A true English classic: Beef Wellington. Beef Wellington is a beef roast – often beef tenderloin – wrapped in puff pastry with Parma ham and mushrooms with fresh herbs (duxelles). Thanks to the puff pastry, the flavours of the mushrooms can infuse the meat properly while no moisture is lost. So the puff pastry really does serve a purpose. Not everyone eats the puff pastry, but true Beef Wellington lovers swear by it.
Why is it called Beef Wellington?
There is a rumour about how the dish Beef Wellington got its name. There was once a 1st Duke of Wellington named Arthur Wellesley, who was very fond of Beef Wellington. Beef Wellington has since become an iconic dish in English cuisine.
Now that we are talking about Beef Wellington, you may, like us, also think of British chef Gordon Ramsey. Beef Wellington is, after all, one of his signature dishes. He modernised the classic Beef Wellington recipe by grilling the beef tenderloin in a cast-iron pan, which gives it a beautiful colour and flavour. He also adds Dijon mustard to the meat, making the beef tenderloin even more tender.
What meat should you use for Beef Wellington?
You will find it here! We have cut the centre section of the beef tenderloin, which is a beautiful cut of meat for preparing Beef Wellington. The centre section of the beef tenderloin is evenly thick, which helps achieve excellent cooking results for Beef Wellington. Especially for festive occasions and similar events, you will want to use beef tenderloin for your Beef Wellington. If you decide to make Beef Wellington on an ordinary weekday evening, it may be a different story. In that case, you can also get away with using “cheaper” meat such as steak or shoulder tender. Or you can make a Pork Wellington using pork tenderloin, for example. Ideally, however, you use beef tenderloin. And preferably a tenderloin whose shape and size are well suited to Beef Wellington.
Beef Wellington recipe?
A classic Beef Wellington recipe has, among others, been made by thoroughly British chef Gordon Ramsey. Fellow chef Jamie Oliver also regularly puts his own spin on this classic. Our own chef Ruben has made a cooking video showing how to prepare Beef Wellington: short and to the point, with a delicious final result. And we should know, because we tasted it ;-)
What do you eat with Beef Wellington?
That is of course a matter of personal preference, but as befits a classic roast, fresh vegetables should certainly not be missing. Brussels sprouts with pancetta, for example, make a delicious side dish with meat. The same goes for green beans, stewed pears, potato gratin, roast potatoes and sweet potato purée, and we could easily keep going.
What wine goes with Beef Wellington?
With such a beautiful roast of red meat, combined with the mushrooms and the buttery flavour of puff pastry, a Pinot Noir works very well, provided it is a powerful one from Burgundy. Bordeaux is always a good choice too, and another wine that pairs extremely well with this classic and suits the festive season is a beautifully matured Barolo.
Beef Wellington at Christmas
Beef Wellington is a beautiful traditional dish for special occasions such as Christmas. A refined roast on the table – what more could you want? As mentioned, this dish is mainly made with beef tenderloin, which is immediately a good reason to prepare this roast for special occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving or a family gathering. Beef Wellington has now become an ultimate Christmas classic, also in the Netherlands, and is frequently eaten during the festive season. That is hardly surprising once you have tasted it, because it really is an incredible dish.