Tag Archives: beeftenderloin

Easy Beef Wellington

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A Christmas Eve tradition, (and whenever else I feel like it! ) I’ve tried making traditional Beef Wellington, and I wasn’t very happy with the outcome or the time and effort it took. This recipe uses steaks so everyone gets their own little bundle of goodness, and the internal temperature can be adjusted for those that like their steaks well done, AND it’s easy!

  • 3 tenderloin steaks, cut 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick
  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp butter, divided
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Bring the steaks to room temperature and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear the steaks on all sides, about 45 seconds per side (for medium doneness. Adjust searing time for internal temperature preference). Remove from the skillet to a plate. Cover the steaks with foil and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add onions to the skillet and cook until soft. Stir in mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally about 15 minutes, until any liquid has been cooked out of the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream, and cook until mushroom mixture forms a paste. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool while preparing puff pastry.

On a lightly floured suface, roll out a sheet of the thawed puff pastry. Cut away one- third of the puff pastry sheet and set aside. You should have a sheet of pastry in the shape of a rectangle. Place one of the steaks, centered, about 2 inches from the bottom of the puff pastry sheet. Cover the top and sides of the steak with 1/3 of the mushroom mixture. Pull the top of the pastry sheet down firmly so it covers the steak, and cut away any excess dough so it will take the shape of a circle. Press ends together to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry. Lay the 2 remaining 1/3 pieces of dough together, and press edges together to form another piece of pastry for the remaining steak.

Brush the tops of the “wellingtons” with the beaten egg. Bake in the 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, until pastry is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy with roasted asparagus and a glass of red!

Filet Burgundy Chili

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Beef tenderloin and Burgundy wine, with peppers, onions, and kidney beans! No, I’m not crazy! It’s the best chili you’ve ever eaten! But I must warn you, few other bowls of chili will ever come close after you’ve had this tasty sensation!

  • 1 lb beef tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces*
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lg onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp cilantro
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp chipotle powder
  • 2 tsp cayenne
  • 2 cups Burgundy wine
  • 1 15 oz can kidney beans
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce

Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in tenderloin to sear on all sides, about 2 minutes, then add spices. Drain off any grease that may cook out of the meat, then add Burgundy wine, and let simmer 10 minutes, or until wine is reduced by half.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and kidney beans. When it starts to bubble, cover the stock pot and reduce heat to low. Let simmer, stirring every now and then, for an hour to let the flavors meld together. Serve with your favorite chili toppings.

*You can also substitute ground chuck, for the filet, and it’s still delicious!

**Chili can be made up to two days in advance. The longer it sits in the fridge, the better it tastes!