Casa M Beef Wellington

LET’S GET COOKING

• 1.

  If you're using store purchased frozen puff pastry, you can skip this step. If not, get started with making the puff pastry dough. Combine the flours, salt, eggs, and water into a mixing bowl and mix with your hands or a spoon to bring the dough together. Turn it out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (you can also use a mixer to knead). Wrap in cling film tightly and chill in the refrigerator overnight if possible but minimally 4 hours. Prepare the beef while the puff pastry dough chills.

• 2.

  Prepare your tenderloin (we do it the day before when the puff pastry dough goes into the refrigerator to sit). Trim the tenderloin as needed, then coat the tenderloin with the Casa M Spice Co® Chain Reaction® and Cattle Drive®. Smoke the tenderloin for 90 minutes at 160°F. The internal temperature should not go over 90°F. Pull the tenderloin from the smoker, place on a platter or tray uncovered, and refrigerate overnight.

• 3.

  Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, lightly flour the dough and work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle. Next, lightly coat the butter in flour, then, using the rolling pin, hit it gently to flatten it out into a single sheet about the same shape as the dough about 2/3 the size of the rolled out dough (to cover the width completely and 2/3 of the length). Lay the butter onto the dough and fold the 1/3 not covered by butter over the top of the butter. Using a sharp knife, cut the butter where the pastry ends and place it on top of the dough that you just folded over (making 4 alternating layers at this point of dough, butter, dough, butter). Slightly stretch the bottom dough that is now uncovered and fold it over the top of the butter you just put down to now make 5 layers of alternating dough and butter. Pinch the edges to enclose the butter into the dough. Tap the middle of the square of dough with your rolling pin to flatten, then tap down toward you to flatten, then up away from you to flatten. Roll slightly to about 1cm thickness. Fold over itself in thirds. This makes 1 turn. Repeat the process of tapping from the middle to flatten, then toward you, then away from you. Roll again to 1cm thickness. Fold over itself into thirds again. This makes 2 turns, but the butter and dough need to chill again, so wrap carefully, but tightly with film and refrigerate for at least an hour or two.

• 4.

  Prepare the filling by adding the butter to a large sautée pan over medium high heat. When the butter is melted, add the mushrooms and sautée until they have given off all their liquid and just start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the shallots and sautée along with the mushrooms until they soften and have given off their liquid too and the mixture again just starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the fresh thyme and cognac/brandy and mix until any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan are released. Continue to cook until the brandy/cognac is nearly dry, then add the soy and cream and cook until the whole mixture thickens up a good bit. Turn off the heat, season to taste with Chain Reaction® and Cattle Drive®, then remove to a bowl and place in the refrigerator until fully cooled.

• 5.

  Lay out a double-thick layer of food film on the counter that is about two feet long and at least a foot wide so that you have plenty of overlap when you roll up the tenderloin. start with a single layer of fillo long enough to cover the length of the tenderloin and wide enough to cover the circumfrence of the tenderloin when you wrap it. Shingle on top of the fillo an thin, even layer of overlapping prosciutto leaving 2" borders at the top and bottom of the fillo so the fillo will slightly overlap when rolled onto the tenderloin. Spread the cooled mushroom filling into a thin layer evenly across the prosciutto.

• 6.

  In a small mixing bowl combine the horseradish, dijon mustard, Chain Reaction®, and Cattle Drive®. Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and rub this mixture evenly over the whole tenderloin then place it along the bottom of the fillo/proscuitto/mushroom layer. Using the food film to help you, roll it up like a sushi roll tightly being careful not to puncture the fillo. This layer helps keep excess moisture from making the puff pastry soggy while cooking. Once the whole tenderloin is rolled up, wrap it tightly in food film and return to the refrigerator while you roll out the puff pastry.

• 7.

  Back to the puff pastry, do two more turns on the puff pastry, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle that will extend at least 3 inches beyond both ends of the filet. Lift the dough and ensure there is no sticking to the surface before attempting to go further, but remember you want COLD puff pastry, so work quickly.

• 8.

  Preheat the oven to 425°F conventional bake or 400°F if you use a convection oven.

• 9.

  Immediately pull the tenderloin from the refrigerator and unwrap it carefully and place it along the bottom edge of the puff pastry then proceed to roll the tenderloin in the puff pastry. When you've completed the circumfrence of the tenderloin, trim the pastry along the length of the tenderloin with a sharp knife (don't worry about the ends yet), and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat (with the seam down, obviously). If the ends of the puff pastry are too long, trim them to give you enough to pinch together and tuck, if not, pinch them together and tuck the ends under the tenderloin neatly.

• 10.

  Eggwash the whole Wellington and use a sharp knife or a lame to score the top with a decorative pattern (allows steam to release). Sprinkle the top of the Wellington with coarse salt and bake until the pastry is golden brown and the center of the tenderloin registers 115°F for rare or 125°F for medium rare (it will continue to cook and raise another 8-10 degrees while it rests). If the pastry starts to brown too much before the tenderloin is cooked, throw a sheet of aluminum foil over the Wellington. Remove from the oven and let the Wellington rest for 10-15 minutes. Place on a carving board and slice off the ends, then carve and serve.