Beef Wellingtons are a holiday tradition in this household, but with a freezer full of Venison we decided to jazz it up and make a Venison Wellington! I have been wanting to make this recipe for 3 years now and have been waiting on that perfect back-strap to use. Here we are! There is just not a better time to make a Venison Wellington than now since Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner.
The flavor I must admit was surprisingly incredible and I would almost say it was better than the traditional Beef Wellington. It's something about the fresh thyme and mushroom combined with the Venison that puts it over the top! Shout out to my son, Luke Bunch for harvesting this gorgeous deer!
Why use Venison over Beef Tenderloin?
Because it's a flavor profile that marries together perfectly! The earthiness of the flavors with a fresh cut of game meat was a match made in heaven! I have been wanting to try now for several years not knowing what the flavors of a Wellington would do to the Venison. Well, the verdict is from now on, I'll be using venison whenever I have it on hand!
What is Duxelles?
It's simply the mushroom mixture that's cooked down to go in between the prosciutto and the pastry giving it a really good umami flavor to the dish.
When a Beef Wellington is perfectly executed it can certainly impress your friends and dinner guess. Using Venison is a game changer! My goal in this recipe is to show you how to make Beef Wellington so it much less intimidating and not overwhelming. There are different layers of flavor within the Wellington that make it a go to elegant dish that your friends and family will love.
The biggest problem in the past has been overcooking it or having portions of the pastry get soggy on the bottom.
What cut of beef do I use in a Beef Wellington?
Beef tenderloin, or filet, is typically used to make Beef Wellington. For all those technical minded people, the term "chateaubriand" in today's terms refers to a filet mignon roast which is cut from the very center of the beef tenderloin.
Working with Puff Pastry
Most people are intimated with using a puff pasty. But don't worry! You don't have to homemake your own. It can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores.
If you are not familiar, puff pastry although made from only a few ingredients is fairly labor intensive to make. So save yourself some time and headache and buy some.
When I work with it for Wellingtons, I take it out of the freezer that morning (plan on 4 hours to thaw out). About 10 minutes before I work with it, I will set it out on the counter to warm up a bit but you still need it to be cold. I often will defrost mine in the refrigerator overnight.
Don't have a Lattice Cutter?
It's not needed! But it add a beauty factor to your Venison Wellington that's picture perfect. Here's a link if you'd like the one I used.
After you roll out the cold puff pastry to the desired size, roll the lattice cutter across the surface of the pastry lengthwise. Make sure to use decent pressure to push down and cut all the way through the pastry.
Even if you are doing everything correct, there is a chance that some of the pastry will not be cut all the way through. Have a pastry knife handy to correct the detail work.
The goal is to carefully separate or pull apart the lattice so that the spaces between are visible. Remember this is the last step that you want to do before you put salt on it and bake it and this piece, I do recommend that it stay cold before working with the lattice cutter to cut your pretty piece of dough.
One recommendation is to buy two boxes of puff pastry instead of one as a just in case.
Now let's get to the recipe and all the ingredients needed as well as some cooking items and utensils for this dish.
Helpful Items for a perfect Venison Wellington / Beef Wellington
- Flint and Flamer Cleaver - I use these daily and have had them for over 2 years. I've yet to sharpen them! Definitely great quality knives. Code CHEFTIM40 to get 40% this knife or their entire website.
- Staub Cast Iron Skillet - Having a good cast iron in the house is a MUST. This Staub one has been my favorite and east to clean.
- Baking Dishes - I love these Staub baking dishes. They clean well and having a pack of 3 different sizes has proven to be so helpful!
- Bench Scraper - Anytime I cook, this is on the counter. It makes for an easy clean up and to make sure no ingredients are left behind.
- Mixing Bowls - Priority Chef mixing bowls have a non-slip bottom that I LOVE! Less mess is always best, right?
- Measuring Cups - Having a set of different sizes is lifesaving in the kitchen! This Anchor brand is my go to.
- Basting Brush - My favorite brand because it's easy to clean and gets the job done!
- Lattice Cutter - Although not needed, it does make the Wellington look picture perfect!
- Meater Plus Probe - Never guess whether or not your meat is at temperature again. This probe comes with an app that will alert you when it's ready!
- Butcher's Twine - Handy when using a big but of meat. Holds everything together for an even cook.
Ingredients you'll need for your Venison Wellington
Duxelles
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Pint Baby Bella Mushrooms
- 1 Shallots, peeled and diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic, peeled and diced
- 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme, leaves only chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Venison Wellington
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to season meat and Wellington
- 1 Venison (this recipe was a 1 lb backstrap)
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 6 Strips of Prosciutto (I buy an 8 pack at ALDI)
- 2 Puff Pastry (ready to bake sheets) I buy typically Pepperidge Farm
- 2 Eggs, whisked
Instructions for the best Venison Wellington / Beef Wellington
Making Duxelle
Step 1 : Clean mushrooms if necessary, but make sure they are dry. Then, finely chop the mushrooms (or pulse in a food processor). Chop shallots and thyme leaves. Mince garlic.
Step 2 : Heat your sauté pan or cast-iron skillet to a medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté shallots and garlic until translucent. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated (about ⅔ of the way in add Thyme). You can see from images and video they will be dark colored, and no liquid remains. Place this in a bowl and set in refrigerator to cool.
Season and Sear
Step 3 : Using butcher's twine, tie the tenderloin in multiple areas to create a more even cylindrical shape. This will allow for a more even cook. I did not do this, but I would if I was using a cut of beef that was a little bigger piece of meat. But I do recommend. Pre-heat skillet to medium high.
Step 4 : Season your Venison with Salt and Pepper and then add in oil into your skillet and sear the Venison on all sides including the top and bottom just to get a golden-brown crust. Remember you are not really cooking the meat just searing it. Remove from skillet and using a baking dish or plate coat the meat with Dijon mustard and be sure to coat it very well. Set aside while we start on the prosciutto and Duxelle mixture.
Prepping the Venison Wellington
Step 5 : Lay out multiple overlapping pieces of plastic wrap approximately 2 feet long on your countertop. Lay down 6 overlapping pieces of prosciutto being careful not to rip the slices. You want the prosciutto to be able to wrap entirely around the Wellington and extend at least 2 inches beyond each end. Using a spatula, place that duxelles mixture on top of the prosciutto spreading it around leaving about 1 to 1 ½ inches from the edge.
Step 6 : Place Venison Tenderloin on top of duxelles. Using the back side of the plastic wrap, fold over and repeat process on the front ensuring you get a tight roll from front to back and repeat process on the side. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Wrapping In Puff Pastry and Lattice
Step 7 : Flour your surface and unwrap your puff pastry. Gently roll it out to thin it. You're looking for ⅓' thick. Prepare egg wash by whisking two eggs in a bowl.
Step 8 : Unwrap tenderloin and place onto the rolled-out pastry dough. Roll up the tenderloin in the puff pastry lengthwise first. At the seam where the dough meets to seal up, brush one side of the dough at the seam with some of the egg wash. Press the dough together completely to form a tight seal and fold under if excess dough. Repeat process for sides and cut away any excess if you feel its too long.
Step 9 : Preheat oven to 425°F. To make your lattice, gently roll out your second pastry sheet. Use lattice cutter to shape pastry. Egg wash your Wellington very well and then cover with the lattice. Place Wellington on parchment paper and insert your Meater Plus Meat Probe inside Wellington to track temperature and salt just before it goes into the preheated oven.
Step 10 : Bake until internal temperature reaches 115°F. Remove from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before making 1" slices into the Venison Wellington.
Recipe
Venison Wellington
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
Duxelles
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Pint Baby Bella Mushrooms
- 1 Shallots peeled and diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic peeled and diced
- 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme leaves only chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Venison Wellington
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to season meat and Wellington
- 1 Venison this recipe was a 1 lb backstrap
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 6 Strips of Prosciutto I buy an 8 pack at ALDI
- 2 Puff Pastry ready to bake sheets I buy typically Pepperidge Farm
- 2 Eggs whisked
Instructions
Making Duxelle
- Clean mushrooms if necessary, but make sure they are dry. Then, finely chop the mushrooms (or pulse in a food processor). Chop shallots and thyme leaves. Mince garlic.
- Heat your sauté pan or cast-iron skillet to a medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté shallots and garlic until translucent. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated (about ⅔ of the way in add Thyme). You can see from images and video they will be dark colored, and no liquid remains. Place this in a bowl and set in refrigerator to cool.
Season and Sear
- Using butcher's twine, tie the tenderloin in multiple areas to create a more even cylindrical shape. This will allow for a more even cook. I did not do this, but I would if I was using a cut of beef that was a little bigger piece of meat. But I do recommend. Pre-heat skillet to medium high.
- Season your Venison with Salt and Pepper and then add in oil into your skillet and sear the Venison on all sides including the top and bottom just to get a golden-brown crust. Remember you are not really cooking the meat just searing it. Remove from skillet and using a baking dish or plate coat the meat with Dijon mustard and be sure to coat it very well. Set aside while we start on the prosciutto and Duxelle mixture.
Prepping the Venison Wellington
- Lay out multiple overlapping pieces of plastic wrap approximately 2 feet long on your countertop. Lay down 6 overlapping pieces of prosciutto being careful not to rip the slices. You want the prosciutto to be able to wrap entirely around the Wellington and extend at least 2 inches beyond each end. Using a spatula, place that duxelles mixture on top of the prosciutto spreading it around leaving about 1 to 1 ½ inches from the edge.
- Place Venison Tenderloin on top of duxelles. Using the back side of the plastic wrap, fold over and repeat process on the front ensuring you get a tight roll from front to back and repeat process on the side. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Puff Pastry, Lattice and Bake
- Flour your surface and unwrap your puff pastry. Gently roll it out to thin it. You're looking for ⅓' thick. Prepare egg wash by whisking two eggs in a bowl.
- Unwrap tenderloin and place onto the rolled-out pastry dough. Roll up the tenderloin in the puff pastry lengthwise first. At the seam where the dough meets to seal up, brush one side of the dough at the seam with some of the egg wash. Press the dough together completely to form a tight seal and fold under if excess dough. Repeat process for sides and cut away any excess if you feel its too long.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. To make your lattice, gently roll out your second pastry sheet. Use lattice cutter to shape pastry. Egg wash your Wellington very well and then cover with the lattice. Place Wellington on parchment paper and insert your Meater Plus Meat Probe inside Wellington to track temperature and salt just before it goes into the preheated oven.
- Bake until internal temperature reaches 115°F. Remove from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before making 1" slices into the Venison Wellington.
Nutrition
What are the "must haves" on your family menus? Let me know your families favorite recipes in the comments! I love gathering ideas from fellow cooks!
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Chef Tim Clowers says
Such an incredible recipe and I can’t wait to make it again.