The One Step You Can't Afford To Skip For A Flavorful Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington has been around since the early 1800s, believed to have first been created to celebrate the victory at Waterloo and the man who won the battle, the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley. The flavorsome dish attends to all the senses, from the aroma of the light and flaky puff pastry to the delicious juicy flavor of the cut of beef wrapped inside. However, making beef Wellington isn't for the faint-hearted. It takes quite a bit of maneuvering and some suave technique to wrap your wellie. Following an easy beef Wellington recipe will get you there, so long as you don't forget one crucial step.

If you want your beef Wellington to be packed with flavor, you must be sure to sear your beef before you wrap it in your pastry. Searing your beef gives it a bit of a head start in cooking time, which ensures that your pastry doesn't sit in the oven for too long. It also amplifies that gorgeous savory, meaty flavor that we all love about beef, as the high heat used in searing caramelizes the natural sugars in the surface layers, creating a rich and tasty little crust on the outside. This is how the Maillard reaction works; it's all about the chemical reactions of various ingredients.

When it comes to beef Wellington, you want to make sure you have a good-quality cut of beef, and tenderloin is the traditional cut used. To sear it, start by bringing your beef to room temperature. Since meat tightens up in cold temperatures, warming allows it to relax and send moisture back to the muscle instead of sitting tightly between the fibers. This also makes the tenderloin more receptive to the seasoning and sear. Season it generously with Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep in mind that much of the seasoning cooks off in both the searing and baking processes, so don't be shy here.

Heat two or so tablespoons of veggie or peanut oil in a skillet (avoid your low smoke point oils like olive oil and avocado), then turn the heat up to high and carefully ease your beef onto the skillet, with the fattiest side facing downwards. Let your first side sear for a few minutes, undisturbed, then turn it over and sear the next side. You want to ensure that all sides of your meat are seared, including the top and tail. Once the searing process is complete, employ the proper way to arrange mushroom duxelles for beef Wellington before finishing the cooking process in the oven.