FILLET WELLINGTON - BBQ Version
- bbqspark
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
In this recipe, we offer you a dish that many know but few have tried: the spectacular Beef Wellington.
Below we will give our version of the recipe because, instead of traditional oven cooking, we will enrich the preparation using the barbecue.
INGREDIENTS
- Whole beef fillet
- Salt
- White pepper
- Fresh mushrooms (type of your choice)
- Oil
- Butter
- Shallot
- Dijon mustard
- Parsley
- Slices of raw ham
- Puff pastry
Measure the quantities according to your tastes
PREPARATION
Let's start by cleaning and portioning our piece of meat. Since the fillet is a whole, it consists of the head, the central body, and the cord.
Using a very sharp knife, remove the cord and then the head.
We finish our first step by removing the tendon covering a portion of the fillet. To do this, we'll insert the knife between the meat and the tendon tissue and slide the blade, pointing slightly upward, so as to remove as little meat as possible, while holding the removed tissue taut with the other hand. If necessary, we can finish cleaning the fillet by removing any excess fat.
To best present it, usually only the central part of the fillet is used. It will then be necessary to cut off the tip and tail, depending on the size of our pastry. The meat must be completely wrapped in the pastry, including the sides.
Let's move on to adding flavors to the meat: sprinkle the fillet with salt and white pepper, without overdoing it.
Once the seasoning is complete, including both ends, wrap it in plastic wrap, pulling it tightly to compress the fillet and squeeze out all the air. The final result should resemble a candy.
Let it rest for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
We continue the preparation by cleaning the mushrooms. We used Porcini and Pioppini, but you can choose any type you like.
After cleaning them of soil and cutting the stems, we use the barbecue to smoke them. We set up the new Kamado Monolith in an indirect setting, using cherry wood, at a temperature of 120°C. Smoking should last about 10-15 minutes.
While the mushrooms absorb the aromas of the cherry wood, heat a knob of butter and a drizzle of oil in a pan. Remove the fillet from the cling film and pat it dry to remove any water that the salt will have released from the cut of meat.
Once the pan with the butter and oil is very hot, add the fillet and allow the Maillard reaction to take place on all sides of the meat.
This operation is essential and will not be successful if the oil and butter are too cold or if we have not removed the moisture from the surface of the fillet by dabbing it beforehand.
This should be a very quick process that will evenly sear the cut of meat.
Once we are satisfied with the result, we will set it aside to cool completely.
Let's take the mushrooms, which will now be ready, and let them cool.
Finely chop the shallot and sauté it over a very low heat so that it softens and doesn't brown, making it easier to digest.
At this point, the mushrooms need to be chopped. There are different schools of thought: some prefer a puree, chopping them thoroughly, while others prefer a coarser chop. We prefer the latter, so we'll use a tartare blade and adjust the speed and length of time they'll be in the blender: low speed, for a few seconds.
Increase the heat under the pan where the shallot is wilting and finish cooking the chopped mushrooms.
Meanwhile, pat the fillet dry again, as it will have lost more juices and cooled down.
We take the mustard and sprinkle it well over our entire cut of meat, always on all sides and let it rest again.
Chop some parsley and add it to the mushrooms, then check the cooking: the mushrooms should release a lot of water and steam, ensuring a dry consistency. Add salt if necessary and let cool.
Prepare the cling film and arrange the slices of prosciutto on top. Take the cold mushrooms and spread them out evenly and compactly over the prosciutto, about half a centimeter thick. Take the fillet and roll it up tightly in the mixture, sealing it with the cling film.
Take the previously rolled out puff pastry and roll the fillet inside. Crimp the side edges with a fork to seal.
We'll use the remaining pastry to make the decorations: we'll use an accessory to create a mesh pattern, gently passing it over the pastry.
Finally, you will need to take the pastry net you just created and place it on your rolled pastry, being careful not to break it.
We finish the preparation by brushing two egg whites diluted with a little water. For a perfect result, you can brush the egg twice, waiting a few minutes between each coat.
Let's move on to cooking and the final step of our recipe.
Prepare the barbecue by heating a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and placing the fillet on it. The parchment paper helps you move the fillet easily and prevents the pastry from sticking to the pan. During cooking, absolutely do not remove the lid from the barbecue, as this could cause the pastry to collapse.
It will need to cook for about 20 minutes at around 180°C.
Regardless of the estimated cooking time, we usually use a probe thermometer for this type of preparation. The internal temperature required to finish cooking is 50°C, which will rise to 52°C during the resting phase off the grill (which is necessary for all meats that should remain slightly rare on the inside).
The end result should be a crispy, bubble-free, and beautifully colored pastry, with a moist, juicy, pink center.
Although it may seem difficult to prepare, we assure you that it is only a matter of manual skill and attention to some delicate steps.
Beef Wellington is not only a tasty dish, but also a feast for the eyes, definitely a great recipe to impress your guests!
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