Beef Wellington Food

INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• BEEF: Rub each filet with garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute filets in butter 3-4 minutes on each side. Flame brandy, pour over filets (if this freaks you out, don't flame the brandy). Remove filets and chill.
• In the same skillet, saute chopped mushrooms and chill. Mix pate with chilled mushrooms, spread over filets, and refrigerate.
• MUSHROOM SAUCE: Using the same skillet over medium heat, combine onion and sliced mushrooms, stir in flour and gradually add wine, broth and bay leaf. Stir until sauce bubbles and is thickened. Season with salt, pepper and Worcestershire.
• PASTRY: Roll out patty shells or dough and trim into 4 6-inch squares. Brush with egg. Place each filet, pate side down, on pastry. Fold dough completely over filets and seal edges with butter. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet (with a rim) and brush again with egg.
• Pastry may now be garnished with small flowers or leaves made from extra dough and attached using butter or beaten egg. Don't skip this step, it is very impressive looking; even I will get out the small cocktail cookie cutters and stick on a few pastry leaves, holly and berry, or even hearts for Valentine's Day.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust is richly browned. Serve with heated mushroom sauce.

BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Tie tenderloin with kitchen twine in 1-inch increments to form an even piece, so it will hold its shape during cooking. (Your butcher can do this for you.)
• Heat a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sear tenderloin until well browned on all surfaces, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, including ends.
• Transfer tenderloin to a cutting board with a drainage well; let rest until cool. Cut and remove the kitchen twine, and chill tenderloin until ready to assemble and beef is cold, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• In another large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook until it softens, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; season with remaining teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and liquid is released and evaporates, 8 to 10 minutes. Add sherry; cook until mixture is dry, about 4 minutes more. Cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a day.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick and big enough to enclose the beef. If using store-bought pastry, it may be necessary to lay out 2 pieces, overlapping, and roll them out into one piece. Spread the top of the tenderloin evenly with half the mousse, and spread half of the mushrooms evenly over the top.
• Carefully invert coated tenderloin into middle of puff pastry, mushroom-side down. Spread another layer of mousse on top and sides of tenderloin. Spread remaining mushrooms over top. Fold up long sides of dough to enclose tenderloin, brushing edges with beaten egg to seal. Trim ends if necessary, then fold up, and seal. Carefully transfer tenderloin, seam side down, to a baking sheet, and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Roll out any extra dough, cut into holly or other shapes if desired, and chill on baking sheet with beef.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven until hot, about 15 minutes. Decorate top of pastry with shaped cutouts if desired; brush with beaten egg. Make 2 to 3 slits in pastry for venting steam. Sprinkle with sea or coarse salt if desired. Carefully transfer beef Wellington to preheated baking sheet. Bake until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 120 degrees to 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer for rare, 130 degrees to 135 degrees for medium rare, 35 to 50 minutes. Cover pastry with foil if it gets too brown while cooking. Let rest on a cutting board 10 minutes before slicing.

CLASSIC BEEF WELLINGTONS

Steps:

• Sprinkle steaks with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, brown steaks in 1 tablespoon oil for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and refrigerate until chilled., In the same skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in remaining oil until tender. Stir in remaining salt and pepper; cool to room temperature., Preheat oven to 425°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet into a 14x9-1/2-in. rectangle. Cut into two 7-in. squares (use scraps to make decorative cutouts if desired). Place a steak in the center of each square; top with mushroom mixture. Lightly brush pastry edges with water. Bring opposite corners of pastry over steak; pinch seams to seal tightly., Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Cut four small slits in top of pastry. Arrange cutouts over top if desired. Brush with egg., Bake 25-30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°).

BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Preheat a large frying pan on a high heat. Rub the beef all over with sea salt and black pepper. Pour a good lug of oil into the pan, then add the beef, 1 knob of butter and 1 sprig of rosemary.
• Sear the beef for 4 minutes in total, turning regularly with tongs, then remove to a plate.
• Wipe out the pan and return to a medium heat. Peel the onion and garlic, then very finely chop with the mushrooms and put into the pan with the remaining knob of butter and another lug of oil.
• Strip in the rest of the rosemary leaves and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft and starting to caramelise, stirring regularly.
• Toss the livers and Worcestershire sauce into the pan and cook for another few minutes, then tip the contents onto a large board and drizzle with the truffle oil (if using).
• Finely chop it all by hand with a big knife, to a rustic, spreadable consistency. Taste and season to perfection, then stir in the breadcrumbs (you can use pancakes to line the pastry and absorb the juices, but I prefer using breadcrumbs like this).
• Preheat the oven to 210°C/425°F/gas 7.
• On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the pastry to 30cm x 40cm. With one of the longer edges in front of you, spread the mushroom pâté over the pastry, leaving a 5cm gap at either end and at the edge furthest away from you - eggwash these edges.
• Sit the beef on the pâté then, starting with the edge nearest to you, snugly wrap the pastry around the beef, pinching the ends to seal.
• Transfer the Wellington to a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, with the pastry seal at the base, and brush all over with eggwash (you can prep to this stage, then refrigerate until needed - just get it out 1½ hours before cooking so it's not fridge-cold).
• When you're ready to cook, heat the tray on the hob for a couple of minutes to start crisping up the base, then transfer to the oven and cook for 40 minutes for blushing, juicy beef - the two end portions will be more cooked, but usually some people prefer that.
• For the gravy, peel and roughly chop the onions and put into a large pan on a medium heat with a lug of oil and the thyme leaves. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in the jam and simmer until shiny and quite dark.
• Add the Madeira, flame with a match, cook away, then stir in the mustard and flour, gradually followed by the stock. Simmer to the consistency you like, then blend with a stick blender and pass through a sieve, or leave chunky.
• Once cooked, rest the Wellington for 5 minutes, then serve in 2cm-thick slices with the gravy and steamed greens.

BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Using kitchen twine, tie the tenderloin into a 12-inch log, folding the thinner end onto itself. (Use your hands to squeeze the meat into a log. You can be aggressive here.)
• Place pancetta in a cold 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta starts to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add butter, raise heat to high, and stir in mushrooms and shallot. Cook until the liquid released by the mushrooms has cooked off, 4 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until mushrooms are browned, stirring frequently, another 18 to 23 minutes. (Take your time here, you want a deep golden color for the best flavor.) Scrape bottom of the skillet as necessary to prevent burning.
• If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little olive oil, then stir in garlic and thyme leaves. Cook until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in sherry, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Scrape mixture into a medium bowl to cool. (Do not add salt at this point.)
• In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Season beef generously with salt and pepper, then sear on all sides until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cool slightly. Remove any twine. Brush meat all over with mustard.
• On a clean work surface, overlap long sheets of plastic wrap (about 15-by-15 inches). Place prosciutto slices on top to make about a 14-by-7-inch rectangle, arranging them in an even layer and overlapping the pieces slightly. Spread cooled mushroom mixture on top.
• Place beef along one long end of the prosciutto slices, and roll prosciutto tightly around beef. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, twisting both ends like a candy wrapper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 teaspoon water. Lay puff pastry out on the prepared baking sheet, lightly draping over edges. (The pastry needs to be at least 14-inches long and 13-inches wide to cover the beef; if not, roll it out as needed.)
• Carefully unwrap and place chilled log along the edge of one long side of puff pastry. Roll beef up tightly, then place it seam-side down on the baking sheet. Tuck puff pastry over the ends of the beef to cover them, pinching to seal and folding underneath. Brush top and sides of pastry with egg wash, and use a small sharp knife to cut a few slits into the top of the pastry.
• Bake until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 115 degrees for rare, 25 to 35 minutes. (This timing will yield rare pieces at the thicker end and medium done pieces at the thinner end of the loin.) Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve while warm.

BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
• Sit the 1kg beef fillet on a roasting tray, brush with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with pepper, then roast for 15 mins for medium-rare or 20 mins for medium. When the beef is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven to cool, then chill in the fridge for about 20 mins.
• While the beef is cooling, chop 250g chestnut (and wild, if you like) mushrooms as finely as possible so they have the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. You can use a food processor to do this, but make sure you pulse-chop the mushrooms so they don't become a slurry.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil and 50g butter in a large pan and fry the mushrooms on a medium heat, with 1 large sprig fresh thyme, for about 10 mins stirring often, until you have a softened mixture.
• Season the mushroom mixture, pour over 100ml dry white wine and cook for about 10 mins until all the wine has been absorbed. The mixture should hold its shape when stirred.
• Remove the mushroom duxelle from the pan to cool and discard the thyme.
• Overlap two pieces of cling film over a large chopping board. Lay 12 slices prosciutto on the cling film, slightly overlapping, in a double row.
• Spread half the duxelles over the prosciutto, then sit the fillet on it and spread the remaining duxelles over.
• Use the cling film's edges to draw the prosciutto around the fillet, then roll it into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of cling film to tighten it as you go.
• Chill the fillet while you roll out the pastry.
• Dust your work surface with a little flour. Roll out a third of the 500g pack of puff pastry to a 18 x 30cm strip and place on a non-stick baking sheet.
• Roll out the remainder of the 500g pack of puff pastry to about 28 x 36cm.
• Unravel the fillet from the cling film and sit it in the centre of the smaller strip of pastry.
• Beat the 2 egg yolks with 1 tsp water and brush the pastry's edges, and the top and sides of the wrapped fillet.
• Using a rolling pin, carefully lift and drape the larger piece of pastry over the fillet, pressing well into the sides.
• Trim the joins to about a 4cm rim. Seal the rim with the edge of a fork or spoon handle.
• Glaze all over with more egg yolk and, using the back of a knife, mark the beef Wellington with long diagonal lines taking care not to cut into the pastry.
• Chill for at least 30 mins and up to 24 hrs. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Brush the Wellington with a little more egg yolk and cook until golden and crisp - 20-25 mins for medium-rare beef, 30 mins for medium. Allow to stand for 10 mins before serving in thick slices.

THE ULTIMATE BEEF WELLINGTON RECIPE

Steps:

• Using butcher's twine, tie tenderloin at 1-inch intervals. Trim ends of twine. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until smoking. Add tenderloin and cook without moving until well-browned on first side, about 2 minutes. Rotate tenderloin and continue cooking until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.
• Combine horseradish, mustard, and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. When tenderloin is cool enough to handle, cut off and discard twine, then rub on all surfaces with horseradish/mustard mixture. Place in refrigerator, uncovered.
• Place half the mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down sides and redistributing mushrooms with spatula as necessary, about 10 short pulses. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.
• Heat butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have exuded all their liquid and start to sizzle, about 8 minutes. Continue cooking until mushrooms begin to brown and leave browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, about 4 minutes longer. Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes.
• Add brandy. Scrape bottom of skillet with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to release browned bits. Continue to cook until brandy is nearly dry, about 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and soy sauce and continue to cook, stirring frequently until mixture is thick and collects in one large mass when you shake the skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and place in the refrigerator.
• Season foie gras liberally with salt and pepper. Heat remaining half teaspoon oil in a small cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until smoking. Add foie gras and cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 30 seconds. Carefully flip with a small offset spatula and brown second side, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer foie gras to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour rendered fat into mushroom mixture, stir to combine, and return to refrigerator. Use a sharp knife to split each piece of cooked foie gras in half horizontally. Transfer to a plate and place in refrigerator. Allow all ingredients to chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Lay a double layer of plastic wrap about 2 feet long and 1 foot wide on a cutting board. Lay phyllo dough on top of plastic wrap. Shingle prosciutto on top of phyllo to create a thin, even, overlapping layer, leaving a 2-inch border along the bottom and top of the phyllo dough. Spread mushroom mixture evenly over ham layer.
• Place tenderloin along the very bottom edge of the ham/mushroom layer. Place sliced foie gras evenly over top of tenderloin (see note). Carefully roll tenderloin in mushroom, ham, and phyllo, using the plastic wrap to help tighten it as you roll. Once beef is completely rolled up, re-wrap with more plastic wrap, twisting the ends to make sure roll is very tight. Return to refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Dust board or countertop lightly with flour. Spread puff pastry on board and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a rectangle at least 4 inches wider than the beef roll on its shorter side.
• Unwrap beef roll and place along very bottom edge of puff pastry with the foie gras side facing up. Brush 6 inches of puff pastry just above beef roll with beaten egg. Carefully roll the beef in the puff pastry until it is completely wrapped. You should end up with the foie gras-side facing up again, with the puff pastry seam meeting on the bottom. Trim pastry with a sharp knife.
• Fold sides of puff pastry protruding from either end of the beef roll towards the center, then fold the top flaps down. Trim off the bottom flaps carefully.
• Roll entire beef roll over so that the bottom is facing up, then fold up the end flaps to seal completely. Roll beef back right-side up. Transfer to a plate and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Transfer Wellington to a foil-lined baking sheet and brush all over with beaten egg. Use a sharp paring knife to score a decorative pattern in the pastry. Sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt. Bake until pastry is golden brown and center of roast registers 110°F (43°C) for rare or 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for ten minutes.
• Use a thin metal spatula to loosen Wellington from foil, then carefully transfer to a carving board. Slice off the ends with a sharp knife. Carve Wellington, sprinkle cut surfaces with chives and more coarse salt, and serve.

BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place beef in a small baking dish, and spread with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until browned. Remove from pan, and allow to cool completely. Reserve pan juices.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool.
• Mix together pate and 2 tablespoons softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread pate over beef. Top with onion and mushroom mixture.
• Roll out the puff pastry dough, and place beef in the center. Fold up, and seal all the edges, making sure the seams are not too thick. Place beef in a 9x13 inch baking dish, cut a few slits in the top of the dough, and brush with egg yolk.
• Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until pastry is a rich, golden brown. Set aside, and keep warm.
• Place all reserved juices in a small saucepan over high heat. Stir in beef stock and red wine; boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Strain, and serve with beef.

BEST SIDE DISHES TO HAVE WITH BEEF WELLINGTON (+SIMPLE SIDE SALAD)

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl.
• Add your favorite dressing and toss with the salad.
• Add other ingredients as desired.

BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• For the mushroom mixture: In the bowl of a food processor, in two batches, pulse the mushrooms and shallots, until finely chopped, 12 to 15 times, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture. Cook, stirring often, until tender, beginning to brown and any moisture in the skillet has evaporated, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
• For the Beef Wellington: Sprinkle the beef tenderloin all over with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Cook the beef tenderloin, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total. Remove the tenderloin from the skillet and set aside to cool for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the twine.
• On a clean work surface, overlap 2-3 pieces of plastic wrap to form a 22 x 18-inch rectangle. Lay the prosciutto slices on the plastic wrap, slightly overlapping each slice to form a 13 x 10 -inch rectangle in the center of the plastic wrap. Spread the cooled mushroom mixture evenly over the prosciutto. Rub the beef tenderloin all over with mustard and arrange lengthwise along the bottom third of the prosciutto rectangle. Using the plastic wrap as a guide, roll the beef tenderloin in the mushroom covered prosciutto to form a log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured surface, slightly overlap the 2 sheets of puff pastry and roll into a 15x12 -inch rectangle. Lightly brush the top third of a long side of the pastry with egg. Remove the plastic wrap from the beef tenderloin log and place the log lengthwise in the center of the puff pastry. Fold to completely seal the log in pastry, brushing any folds with egg to help them stick together and seal.
• Place the pastry wrapped tenderloin, seam side down, on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Brush the log lightly with the remaining egg. Using a small knife, cut 3 (1-inch) slits in the puff pastry to allow steam to escape.
• Bake the Beef Wellington until the puff pastry is golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 120°F for medium-rare, 40 to 50 minutes, tenting with foil to prevent excess browning if needed. Remove from the oven and let rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Place all marinade ingredients (except salt, vermouth and cognac) in a small saucepan.
• Cook slowly until vegetables are tender.
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Season filets with salt; place in ziplock bag; add marinade mixture; pour on the wine and cognac.
• Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
• Remove from marinade.
• Pat dry.
• Heat 1 T oil in a heavy duty saute pan over high heat.
• Add filet and sear briefly on all sides.
• Return to refrigerator until ready to assemble the Wellingtons.
• Reserve marinade for sauce.
• Mince mushrooms in food processor until very small.
• In the corner of a clean kitchen towel, twist the mushrooms a handful at a time to extract as much of the mushroom juices as possible.
• I usually dampen the towel first so it won't absorb the juices of the mushrooms.
• Reserve the juices for the sauce.
• Saute mushrooms and shallots in butter 7 or 8 minutes or so until the mushroom pieces separate from each other and begin to look dry.
• Add the madeira and boil until liquid has evaporated.
• Season to taste and stir in the pate or foie gras.
• Simmer marinade ingredients and mushroom juices with 2 cups beef broth and 1 T tomato paste for 1 hour or so until reduced to 2 cups.
• Degrease, season and thicken with 2 Tbs.
• cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup Madeira.
• All of these steps can be prepared well in advance and even frozen in separate containers.
• Simply thaw everything before proceeding.
• I usually get two Wellingtons out of each sheet of puff pastry.
• It depends on the size of the steaks.
• Roll out each sheet a little to accomodate the size of the filet.
• Cut sheet in half.
• Lay one sheet of Prosciutto on each half.
• Place a spoonful of mushrooms on top; place a filet on top of mushrooms; spoon a little more mushrooms on top of filet; wrap filet in pastry.
• Pinch to seal.
• If you have any pastry left over, be creative and decorate the Wellingtons to fit the occasion.
• Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
• Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
• Preheat oven to 375^F.
• Egg wash the tops of the Wellingtons.
• Bake until golden brown.
• About 25 minutes.
• Use an instant read thermometer to insure that the meat is done to your liking.
• If Wellingtons start to brown too much before the meat is ready, cover with foil and cook until it is done.
• Serve with the Madeira sauce spooned on top.

THE ULTIMATE BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• For the Duxelles:
• To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
• For the Beef:
• To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Shingle the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef. Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Top with coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.
• Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife ¿ this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into thick slices. Garnish with minced chives, and serve with Green Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh Herbs and Garlic, and Warm Wilted Winter Greens.
• Add olive oil to pan after removing beef. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme; saute for 1 to 2 minutes, then, off heat, add brandy and flambe using a long kitchen match. After flame dies down, return to the heat, add stock and reduce by about half. Strain out solids, then add 2 cups cream and mustard. Reduce by half again, then shut off heat and add green peppercorns.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking sheet inside to heat.
• Add potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Remove sheet pan from oven, lightly coat with olive oil, and pour potatoes onto pan. Place potatoes in oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F. Roast for 20 minutes, or until crispy on outside and tender on inside.
• Cook honey and balsamic together over medium-high heat in a large saute pan, about 5 minutes. Toast walnuts in a small skillet; set aside to cool.
• Pile greens on a platter. Stir mustard into balsamic-honey dressing, then whisk in about 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil; pour over greens. Season greens with salt and pepper and garnish with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, shavings of Parmesan, and shallot.