I want to make a killer sauce for my X-mas roast

[Kater]

For a number of reasons I'm switching from a standing rib roast to a whole tenderloin this year. Because it is intrinsically less flavorful I want to make a killer sauce. I have truffle butter, veal demi glace, and cognac in mind but I'm looking for ideas and techniques. I'm willing to go in another direction (and I have some great dried cherries in the pantry) but do not want to go with a bernaise of something like that.

thanks for your help!

[gordeaux]

you have a great start in my book.
Truffle butter
the jus
(I'd sub red vino for the cognac, but that's me)
lemon juice just to give it a hint of a tangy pop.
salt / pepper
minced shallot
garlic
Wow, seriously, no joke at ALL - my mouth is watering.
Get funky with a little rosemary?
I'd leave the sauce thin with only the butter as the thickening agent (again, that's just me)

[todao]

Melt some butter and add 3 Tbsp finely chopped onion and a clove of finely chopped garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes, (making sure not to brown the garlic) then add one Tbsp rosemary and a splash of Cognac. Reduce by one third, then add a splash of good Port and reduce by one third. Then add your meat drippings (about two cups) and simmer to reduce by one third. Strain the sauce into a warm preheated pan. Keep warm until time to serve. If you have beef stock available you can make this a day or two ahead of time and keep in the the fridge. It gets better with age.

[Caroline1]

I'm also doing tenderloin for Christmas. In the past, I've always done it whole as beef Wellington, but this year I'll be doing individual Wellingtons. There is nothing on planet earth that gives richer flavor to a tenderloin than packing it in Perigord truffles, duxelle, pate, thin prosciutto to keep the puff pastry dry, then saucing it with a traditional sauce Perigeuex (or Perigourdine if you have any extra fois gras laying around). It's not as simple as grilling a filet, but it is sooOOOooOOoOooOoo much more flavorful! And you can do most of the work a day ahead of time.

If you know how to do a search on Chow, I gave the recipe for my version of beef Wellington at least once, if not more times. If you can't find it and want the recipe, let me know.

[MMRuth]

Hmmm - that's a great idea. I think there will just be three of us this year, and my husband was just saying at dinner that he wouldn't mind some filete for Christmas dinner. And, since he was also talking about ordering those Oregon black truffles again this year, this might be perfect. I'll try to find your recipe and and link to it - do you remember when you posted it, more or less?

Edit: I searched going back three years, using your username and "wellington" as a search term and couldn't find it ....

http://chowhound.chow.com/search?sear...

[Caroline1]

I have no idea when I posted it, M, but no problem repeating it here. The process is the same for a whole tenderloin and individual filets or tournedos. Or even a chateaubriand. So here we go....

If you (generic) are the super compulsive self sacrificing type, feel free to make your own puff pastry from scratch. I buy mine. You will need :

A section of puff pastry large enough to enwrap the tenderloin or steaks you will be using. If you are using a whole tenderloin, remember you will be folding the skinny tail back upon the tenderloin to approximate even thickness for the whole thing, so plan your puff pastry accordingly.

* Some black truffles, either jarred or fresh. If fresh, scrub well with a toothbrush. Whether fresh or jarred whole, peel them and reserve the peels. Then slice the truffles into thin rounds and reserve in a little madeira or cognac until ready to use. About a sixteenth of an inch thick is great. If you're doing a whole tenderloin, you can even shave them, then if you have enough for two layers, why not?

* A duxelle made with the mushrooms of your choice. I use my largest cast iron skillet to make a duxelle. I begin by chopping a mountain of mushrooms (a relative term) into small pieces, then melt a lot of butter in the moderate pan, toss in some diced shallots (or yellow onions) and let them get transparent, then add the mushrooms. Reduce heat, stir and cover with a lid. You're in for a long slow cook-down process. You may have to add more butter -- mushrooms drink butter! -- but don't use too much because you don't want it oozing out when you bake the Wellington. When you're close to having the mushrooms become a thick paste, add some madeira or cognac. Madeira is the classic, but cognac is delicious too! You're aiming for a consistency just a tad short of peanut butter. When you're there, then season with salt to taste. Set aside to cool to room temperature. And for the record, button mushrooms work just fine. Morels are a bit on the side of overkill, but hey, if gilding lilies is your thing, why not? But come to think of it, I can't recall ever combining truffles and morels myself, nor do I remember seeing a recipe that calls for both. Is this a warning, or does it simply mean there are still a few stones left unturned in the area of total indulgence? hmmmm... Dare I dream? Anyway, when it comes to quantity of duxelle to make, better to have too much than too little. And you can put it in a zip lock back and freeze the leftovers for another day.

* Depending on availability and/or your budget, a foi gras, pate de foi gras, or a really excellent pate of any sort.

* Thin slices of proscuitto to cover the puff pastry as a moisture barrier.

* And of course, the beef! Individual tournedos or filets should be thick cuts. As thick as one and a half to two inches is fine. My personal preference for individual Wellingtons is steaks from the larger tournedos end, but filets from a large tenderloin will work fine too.. Or two small but thick filets from the small end of a small tenderloin could work too. In any case, sear the meat quickly in a very hot skillet, being careful to brown all surfaces but do not cook the meat! Only sear it. Use either "light" (filtered) olive oil or peanut oil and just enough to keep the meat from bonding with the metal. Set aside to cool while you assemble everything.

If you are prepping in advance, this is the point at which you can cover or wrap everything well and refrigerate for up to two days. Just be sure you take everything out of the refrigerator in plenty of time to let it come completely up to room temperature before assembling.

METHOD:

I find working on a well buttered jelly roll pan or cookie sheet means less moving things around and a better end result. If you're doing a whole tenderloin, then a sheet of baking parchment instead of buttering the jelly roll pan or cookie sheet will serve you well when it comes time to roll things up. Lay out the puff pastry in a size that will completely wrap and seal around the beef. Obviously, if you're making individual Wellingtons, then one piece of puff pastry per steak. For a whole tenderloin, if you're using store bought puff pastry, you will probably have to rejoin any perforations in the dough, or even join two pieces together. Do this by dipping your finger in a little water and moistening the edges to be joined or resealed, then overlap them a bit and press down with your fingers, but don't flatten the dough completely.

Next, cover the pastry dough with a thin but even layer of prosciutoo. The goal is to protect the puff pastry from juices or rendering fat during the final baking phase, so on the sides that will form the bottom seam when the meat is wrapped, place the ham all the way to the edge on one side and leave about a half inch to an inch of uncovered puff pastry on the opposite side to allow overlap for the final seam.

If you are using a whole (or portion of a) foi gras, how you use it will depend on whether you are preparing a whole tenderloin or individual steaks. For a whole tenderloin, slice the foi gras fairly thin and pave the ham with it, but not on the "ends" beyond the length of the meat. For individual Wellingtons, a simple slice of the foi gras (maybe a tad thicker) centered on the ham will work well.
If you are using a pate, whether foi gras or other, mash and stir it to bring it to a spreading consistency and smooth a layer over the ham. If the pate is too thick to bring to a comfortable spreading consistency, it most likely needs more butter. Stir in room temperature butter using just enough to get it to spreading consistency, and yes, it's okay to use a food processor but be cautious and don't liquefy the pate!

Now cover the pate with a nice thick (nearly a half inch) layer of duxelle. When this has proved difficult, I've been known to pack my duxelle in a pastry bag and pipe it onto the pate for even distribution.

Truffle time! PAVE the duxelle with truffle slices everywhere that will actually touch the meat.

Now place the meat in the center of the puff pastry for individual Wellingtons, and wrap as a package, bringing the edges together, moisten with a touch of water, then pinch the seams to seal. Turn them smooth side up.
For a whole tenderloin, place the meat at the edge where the ham comes out all the way to the edge of the pastry, moisten the far edge of uncovered puff pastry with a little water and then use the parchment to roll the tenderloin much the way you use a bamboo mat to roll sushi. Press and pinch to seal the seam. Next, seal the ends equally well using a knife or scissors to trim the puff pastry so that you have a single layer of well sealed dough around the meat. Use the parchment to slide the completed "package" to the side of the pan while you butter the center where the Wellington will sit while roasting. Place the Wellington seam side down.

Decorating time! Mix an egg wash (a whole egg and a Tbsp of water whipped with a fork) and keep it handy. I cut thin ribbon-like strips of left over puff pastry and use egg wash to attach them like ribbons wrapped around a package, then use more strips to form a bow on top where the "ribbons" cross. I have a canape cutter that cuts boat or leaf shapes which I pinch into holly leaves and place a couple with the bow, then add balls of puff pastry fr holly berries attac hing everything with egg wash.

Things can be prepared up to this point as much as a couple of hours in advance, but DO NOT refrigerate or you will have a rough time getting the meat to cook evenly. When it's time to bake the Wellington, give yourself about an hour and a half prior to serving time to get things going. The oven should have the rack centered and be preheated to around 425F.

With a pastry brush, paint the Wellington with the egg wash. Place on centered oven rack and bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is just beginning to take on a nice brown. Reduce heat to 325F and bake another 20 to 25 minutes for rare. I use a thin instant read digital thermometer to check that it is about 135F for rare, maybe 140 for medium rare. If anyone insists they want well done, send someone out to get them a Big Mac! Try to pierce the Wellington with the thermometer probe under the ribbon or someplace from the top so no juices leak out. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

For presentation, I slide my Wellington onto a long thin platter for whole tenderloin, but this year I'll be using a round silver tray for the individual Wellingtons (there will be four of us), then decorate with a sprig or two of PLASTIC (but real looking) holly next to it. The plastic holly precludes any problems with pesticides, etc.

I do NOT recommend a silver platter for the whole tenderloin version simply because it needs to be carved at table, and you don't want to mar the platter. An electric knife works best when it comes to not tearing the crust into a pile of flakes. A serated knife such as a bread knife is the next best thing.

But the accompanying sauce is always lovely in a silver sauce boat! There are dozens of recipes for Perigord sauce, Perigeuex sauce, and sauce Perigourdine on the web. I found an authentic one for Sauce Perigeuex here: http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/bord...
It's about 2/3 of the way down the page. And this is where the truffle peels come in. And any truffles you have left.

For side dishes with the Wellington, I find that very fresh, peak flavored simple vegetables such as asparagus or very young green beans (if you can find them) work well. I don't recommend sauced of seasoned casserole type of vegetable dishes simply because the only end up detracting form the great and complex flavors of the Wellington.

For any and all of you who will be trying this for the holidays, may magic dance all around your kitchen while you're making it and your dining table while you're eating it! Enjoy!!!

Oh... My favorite wine with it is a truly great pull-out-all-the-stops-and-go-for-broke Bordeaux! ... ummm.... wait... Now where did I put that damned lottery ticket...?) Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah everyone '-)

[MMRuth]

Thank you so very much. I'm going to give this a try for Christmas! Will post back when I do.

[Caroline1]

My pleasure, and I look forward to hearing about how it goes.

[MMRuth]

Here are a couple of photos - I ended up using a combination of your recipe, and one from Epicurious for individual beef wellingtons, mostly for the timing. I also made the sauce from your link. I didn't have Madeira, and so used a combination of port and cognac instead. I'm going to post my "combined" recipe separately (with a link to here, of course!). Loved the idea of using the prosciutto. I couldn't find any foie gras or even some sort of liver mousse/pate, so ended up cobbling together my own of sorts, using a Julia Child recipe as a base.

Thanks again for taking the time to post your recipe - this was a real hit!

[Caroline1]

Gorgeous! The Duke of Wellington salutes you! M, thanks for taking the time with the camera. I'm salivating. Asparagus is my favorite veggie to serve with it too. And may I be gauche and add that "Florentine' is my fave Wedgwood china pattern? Lovely. It all looks like a most memorable Christmas.

At the last minute, I changed my mind on the Wellington. Since Christmas dinner would only be my son, daughter-in-law, grandson and me this year, it seemed like culinary insanity to put pate, duxelle and truffles in front of Captain Picky Eater (my son). While shopping on the 23rd, my favorite farmer's market was putting out some nice looking standing rib roasts, so I picked up three ribs worth. I almost didn't go that route because it was USDA Select, but the butcher (who seemed knowledgeable) said they only sell Harris Ranch grain fed beef, and that it would be at least as tender as USDA Choice, but with fewer calories. I thought to myself, well, if it isn't, I can always turn it into hamburger... It was! And all in all, I was MUCH happier watching John eat a nice thick slab of rib roast and three servings of Yorkshire pudding than I ever could have been throwing out truffles, duxelle and pate! So now I still have an entire USDA Prime tenderloin all to myself, and a nice jar of Perigord truffles tucked away for another day. I am sooOOoooOOOOooOoO wicked! '-)

[Kater]

I LOVE the Wellington idea and will search your recipe to use when we entertain friends but I'll be feeding some very basic eaters on Christmas. I plan to serve the sauce on the side because my in laws have been known to complain about my 'fancy' food. So the sauce Perigeuex should be perfect and they can skip it if they like!

[dmd_kc]

I made Gourmet's pomegranate gravy for the Thanksgiving turkey several years ago. It was insane -- and I think it would be just as good, if not better, with beef. It's on Epicurious.com here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...