Classic Beef Wellington

Name: Classic Beef Wellington
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Cuisine: Europe, Great Britain
Ingredients: 1 , beef tenderloin center-cut Châteaubriand, 3 to 4 pounds trimmed weight, about 12 inches long and 4 inches in diameter, trimmed and tied by butcher (see note); 2 tablespoons, olive oil; 2 teaspoons, table salt; 2 teaspoons, ground black pepper; 5 ounces, fine pâté, mashed until smooth; , unbleached all-purpose flour for dusting work surface; 1 pound, puff pastry, preferably homemade (see note); 1 , large egg; 1 pound, button mushrooms, brushed of dirt and broken in rough pieces by hand; 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter; 2 - 3 , large shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup); 2 tablespoons, heavy cream; 1 teaspoon, Madeira (optional); 1 teaspoon, table salt; 1/2 teaspoon, ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon, minced fresh thyme leaves; 2 1/2 pounds, beef oxtails, trimmed of excess fat; 2 , medium carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup); 2 medium ribs, celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup); 4 , small onions, chopped coarse (about 3 cups); 1 large head, garlic, broken into cloves, unpeeled; 2 teaspoons, tomato paste; 1 bottle, red wine (750ml); 4 - 6 , large shallots, minced (about 1 cup); 1 , bay leaf; 10 sprigs, fresh thyme; 1 can, low-sodium beef broth (14 1/2-ounces); 1 can, low-sodium chicken broth (14 1/2-ounces); 1 teaspoon, whole black peppercorns; 6 , parsley stems

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated November/December 2001

Is this dinosaur of a recipe worth making at home? If you like flaky—not soggy—pastry wrapped around perfectly pink, flavorful beef, the answer is an enthusiastic yes.

SERVES8 to 10

TIME6½ to 7½ hours, plus 55½ hours chilling and 30 minutes cooling

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

To update the notoriously difficult Beef Wellington recipe and ensure that we would wind up with tender, flavorful beef encased in earthy mushrooms, rich pâte, and a flaky pastry, we dry-aged and seared the right cut of beef, covered the me...

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