Beef Wellington with Green Peppercorn Sauce

How to make the perfect Beef Wellington. Beef filet mignon coated in mustard and wrapped in a mushroom duxelles, prosciutto and puff pastry. Served with a delicious Green Peppercorn Sauce.

beef wellington metal tray

Beef Wellington

If you are looking for a show-stopping recipe which will wow your family and friends at your next dinner party, look no further than this Beef Wellington with Green Peppercorn Sauce.

What is a Beef Wellington?

A Beef Wellington is traditionally a large piece of beef wrapped in a fine mushroom mixture (called a duxelles), and which is then encased in puff pastry.

Most traditional Beef Wellington recipes call for the beef to be wrapped in a thin pancake or crêpe before being wrapped in the pastry, which helps to absorb any moisture from the meat and mushrooms during baking and which might otherwise make the pastry on the bottom go soggy.

Other Beef Wellington recipes use thin slices of bacon or prosciutto in place of the pancake, which has the benefit of adding additional saltiness and flavour, as well as making the overall Beef Wellington lighter to eat.

beef wellington sliced with roast vegetables

Which Pastry is Best for Beef Wellington?

As the puff pastry is a key component in this dish, it makes sense to use the best quality puff pastry you can buy (preferably with an all-butter content), or you could take the time to make your own from scratch.

If you must buy the pastry, I would recommend buying it in a block and rolling it out to the desired size, but keeping a thickness of about 5mm.

Pre-rolled puff pastry tends to be on the thin side and which can crack during baking.

beef wellington on baking tray with roast vegetables

Which Cut of Beef to Use for a Beef Wellington

But the most important component of a Beef Wellington is the beef itself.

The ideal cut of beef for this dish is the filet mignon; it is one of the best cuts of meat available and, when cooked properly, it is incredibly tender and will simply melt in your mouth. It is also one of the most expensive cuts, especially when buying it in one large piece to feed 4 to 6 people.

For this reason, Beef Wellington is generally reserved for special occasions, although you could easily scale down the ingredients to make smaller or individual portions using less expensive cuts.

Sauce for Beef Wellington

I love to serve Beef Wellington with a Green Peppercorn Sauce. It is the same sauce which I use when making Steak with Peppercorn Sauce (Steak au Poivre).

roast tomatoes and roast potatoes on baking tray

Tips for the Perfect Beef Wellington

A crispy and flakey bottom, free from any leaks or sogginess, is one of the signs of a successful Beef Wellington, and one of the key elements is ensuring that your mushroom duxelles is cooked long enough so that you evaporate, as much as possible, all of the liquid content in the mushrooms.

Letting the Beef Wellington rest for 15-30 minutes after you have finished baking will also help to prevent any liquid escape. Much like when you cook a normal steak, if you were to cut into it right away, all of the juices in the meat would immediately run out.

Hence, you need to leave the meat to rest (for about half the cooking time) so that the juices return to the centre of the meat, which also keeps the meat from drying out.

digital thermometer is your best friend in this recipe and which will take away any guess work in cooking the meat to the right temperature.

A Beef Wellington might seem like a complicated recipe, but if you break down all of the steps, I think it is quite a manageable.

A helpful guide to assembling the Beef Wellington is in the video below by Gordon Ramsey.

sliced beef wellington with roast vegetables

More Christmas Recipes

If you are looking for more Christmas recipes, you might also enjoy:

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta

Jamie Oliver’s Get Ahead Gravy

Roast Pumpkin Soup

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Beef Wellington with Green Peppercorn Sauce

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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: Serves 4 to 6
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove, Oven
  • Cuisine: French

How to make the perfect Beef Wellington. Beef filet mignon coated in mustard and wrapped in a mushroom duxelles, prosciutto and puff pastry. Served with a delicious Green Peppercorn Sauce.

Ingredients

For the mushroom duxelles:

  • 700 g (1.5 lb) button mushrooms
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • sea salt & freshly ground pepper

For the beef filling:

For the Green Peppercorn Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 shallots, finely chopped
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) brandy or cognac
  • 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock or beef stock
  • 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) double cream (heavy cream)
  • 68 tablespoons green peppercorns in brine, drained (or more, to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
  • parsley, finely chopped
  • thyme, finely chopped

Instructions

Making the mushroom duxelles

  1. Place the mushrooms into a large food processor and pulse until they are roughly chopped.
  2. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, and some salt and pepper, and pulse until you have a finely chopped mixture.
  3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, and cook the mushroom mixture (in a dry pan), for about 10 minutes until the moisture in the mushrooms has evaporated as much as possible. It is important that the mixture is as dry as possible to avoid the beef wellington getting soggy later during baking.
  4. When you have finished cooking the mushroom duxelles, remove the mixture to a flat plate or tray, and set aside to cool completely.

Preparing the beef

  1. Heat a large frying pan with some olive oil. The pan should be wide enough to fit the piece of meat comfortably.
  2. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Sear the beef on all sides, including the ends.
  4. Once you have seared the beef, place it on a large plate or tray. (Do not wash the pan – save it for making the Green Peppercorn Sauce later.)
  5. While the beef is still warm, brush it all over with the Dijon mustard.
  6. Leave the beef to cool completely.

Assembling the beef wellington

  1. Place a large sheet of clingfilm on the work surface. The clingfilm needs to be about 20 cm wider than the piece of beef, and long enough to allow you to wrap the beef completely. You may need to overlap pieces of clingfilm to make it wide or long enough.
  2. Layer the slices of prosciutto on the clingfilm, such that they are a bit wider than your piece of beef. The slices should sit vertically in front of you.
  3. Spread the mushroom duxelles in a thin layer over the prosciutto.
  4. Place the beef on top, sitting horizontally in front of you.
  5. Carefully wrap the beef in the prosciutto, using the clingfilm to roll the mixture away from you. Wrap the beef tightly in the prosciutto. Tuck in the ends and place the beef in the fridge for at least 15-30 minutes.
  6. Place another sheet on clingfilm on the work surface. Again, it needs to be about 20 cm wider than the piece of beef (now wrapped in prosciutto), and long enough to allow you to wrap the beef completely.
  7. Roll out of the puff pastry to a size which will be large enough to wrap the beef, leaving a bit of excess on the sides.
  8. Remove the clingfilm from the beef (now wrapped in prosciutto), and place the beef on top of the puff pastry.
  9. Like before, carefully wrap the beef in the puff pastry, using the clingfilm to help you wrap it tightly. Tuck in the ends, and return the wrapped beef to the fridge for at least 30 minutes. At this point, you could leave it in the fridge overnight.

Cooking the Beef Wellington

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
  2. Brush the Beef Wellington with the beaten egg yolk.
  3. If you wish, you can use the back of the knife to score a pattern in the pastry, taking care not to cut into the pastry. Alternatively, you could decorate the Beef Wellington with some shapes cut from any leftover puff pastry. Stick any pastry decorations onto the Beef Wellington with some egg wash, and also brush the decorations with egg wash.
  4. Place the Beef Wellington on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
  5. Bake for approximately 40 minutes if you like your meat cooked medium/medium-rare. A digital thermometer, inserted in the middle of the beef, should read about 60°C (140°F). If you like your meat more rare, cook it for less time. As a rule of thumb, you should start checking the temperature from about 30 minutes. Bear in mind that the meat will continue to cook at is cools.
  6. If the Beef Wellington is browning too quickly and/or your haven’t reached your desired temperature yet, cover the Beef Wellington with a piece of foil to stop it browning further.
  7. Once the Beef Wellington is cooked to your liking, leave it to rest on a board or tray for at least 15 minutes or more.
  8. To serve, cut the Beef Wellington into thick slices. Serve with Green Peppercorn Sauce (see recipe below) and a side of vegetables, such as roast potatoes, roasted tomatoes, steamed beans, or even a salad.

To make the Green Peppercorn Sauce

  1. In the same pan which you used to sear the beef, add the butter and shallots.
  2. Use a wooden spoon to try and scrape any caramelised bits from the pan.
  3. Add the brandy or cognac and let the mixture bubble away for a few minutes.
  4. Add the stock, cream, and green peppercorns.
  5. Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, mix the cornflour (cornstarch) with a bit of water.
  7. To thicken the sauce, pour some of the cornflour mixture into the sauce and quickly mix it in with a spoon. Add more cornflour mixture as necessary until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
  8. Taste for seasoning.
  9. Serve the sauce hot or warm.

Kitchen Notes

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS
I think it is best to start this recipe the night before, or otherwise set aside a whole morning to prepare the Beef Wellington for serving later in the evening. The Green Peppercorn Sauce can also be made ahead of time. Upon reheating, you may have to thin it with some water or cream.

COOKING MEAT PERFECTLY
When checking the temperature of the meat with a digital thermometer, take the temperature from the side of the Beef Wellington and in the centre. The temperature of the meat here will be less than at the ends, i.e. the ends of the Beef Wellington generally have meat which is more cooked than in the centre. I tend to aim for medium-rare in the centre, which will give me medium-cooked meat at the ends. Keep in mind that meat continues to cook as it cools, so take your Beef Wellington out of the oven if the thermometer gives you a reading a few degrees below your target.

VARIATIONS
If you wish to use a crêpe in place of prosciutto in this recipe, you can make some thin crêpes using my recipe here. Depending on the size of your crêpes, you will need 2-4 crêpes to completely encase the beef. Assemble and overlap the crêpes to form a rough rectangular shape. Spread the mushroom duxelles over the crêpes and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Nutritional info for Beef Wellington:
  • Calories: 694
  • Sugar: 3.3g
  • Sodium: 570.3mg
  • Fat: 42.7g
  • Carbohydrates: 28.7g
  • Fiber: 2.1g
  • Protein: 49.6g
  • Cholesterol: 157.8mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Update

This recipe was first published on 30 September 2016. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.

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22 comments

  1. Beeta @ Mon Petit Four 1 October 2016

    This is beautiful, Thanh! It’s definitely an impressive meal that will have guests wow’ing! Your puff pastry looks gorgeous <3

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 5 October 2016

      Thanks, Beeta! I was a bit nervous making this Beef Wellington but so happy that it turned out nicely 🙂 I’m planning on making it again for Christmas this year.

      Reply
  2. Karly 30 December 2016

    Talk about impressive! This is seriously gorgeous. Not sure if I’ll be able to master it like you have, but I need to try ASAP!

    Reply
  3. Sarah 2 February 2017

    My mouth is watering! What a delicious, show stopping dish! This sounds delicious and I’m absolutely adding it to my “must try ASAP list!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 2 February 2017

      Thanks, Sarah! It is definitely a “special occasion” dish. I’m hoping to make it again soon for a birthday dinner.

      Reply
  4. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables 2 February 2017

    This sounds like something my dad would LOVE! I might have to make this for his birthday!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 2 February 2017

      I hope you will enjoy the recipe! Definitely something for a special occasion like a birthday 🙂

      Reply
  5. Platter Talk 2 February 2017

    Wow! A perfectly cooked Wellington, Beautiful pictures.

    Reply
  6. Angela 2 February 2017

    WOW!!! This is just gorgeous! I’ve always been nervous to try wellington but this one is really getting me excited! Great recipe, great photos!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 2 February 2017

      Thanks, Angela! I was really nervous when making my first Beef Wellington, but I watched Gordon Ramsey’s video over and over – it was a really helpful guide for me.

      Reply
  7. How cool that travellers will be ogling your (gorgeous) Beef Wellington photos! I have to admit: Beef Wellington has always been daunting to me. But your step-by-step instructions and tips break it down in a user-friendly way that actually seems do-able.

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 2 February 2017

      Thanks, Michelle! I know, I also found a Beef Wellington to be daunting at first. But it’s a dish which I have always enjoyed and which was also on my to-make list. A digital thermometer is a must in this recipe 🙂

      Reply
  8. Zasha 27 May 2017

    This looks divine. Can’t wait to do this! I just made your chocolate cake and I’m so glad I did. It’s delicious and perfect for my son’s birthday.

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 2 June 2017

      Thanks, Zasha! I’m so glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake recipe. Happy Birthday to your son!!

      Reply
  9. Sophie 12 January 2018

    Hello!
    I’ve been a fan of your website for a while, a couple years back I tried the Queen of Sheba recipe and it was a superb success. I’ve always enjoyed following your recipes because they are well written and the steps are clear and concise. This year, for the holidays, I tried this recipe and with thorough studying of the video you suggested as well as your recipe, this dish was very well accomplished and enjoyed by all.

    Sophie






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 19 January 2018

      Hi Sophie,
      Thank you for your lovely feedback! I make the Queen of Sheba cake so often as it is always so well received. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it too! And well done for trying this Beef Wellington – it’s a comprehensive recipe but I’m so glad you gave it a go and that it was a success!

      Reply
  10. Julia 14 April 2018

    Absolutely love this method! Looks so good!!! Thank you for great recipes!






    Reply
  11. Judy 7 February 2021

    Hi,

    I want to make this dish. Wondering where to buy the green peppercorn that you are using.

    Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 17 March 2021

      Hi Judy,
      I buy my green peppercorns from the supermarket. They are usually sold with the other dried herbs and spices. I buy the green peppercorns in brine. Hope you can find them at your local supermarket!

      Reply