How to Make Beef en Crout (2024)

FAQs

Is beef en croûte the same as Beef Wellington? ›

The main difference between this Beef én Croute and a Beef Wellington is that this is a puff pastry parcel of fillet steak topped with pate and a Beef Wellington has no topping. In this recipe we are going to use pureed mushrooms and onions instead of pate.

Traditionally, the dish centers around beef surrounded by pâté, mushrooms and some form of ham that is then wrapped in puff pastry and baked in the oven. The best cut of beef for beef Wellington: We're starting with one of the most tender cuts of beef ever—the tenderloin!

En croute is a dish that has been wrapped in pastry dough and then baked in the oven. It's incredibly versatile and a favorite of many. You can stuff the inside with any item of your choosing.

One other approach is to bake "blind" a rectangle of puff pastry for the base before assembling the wellington. Cut a rectangle of pastry slightly larger than the beef for the base, prick it thoroughly with a fork and bake at 200c/400F for 20 minutes until golden.

The pastry has to be slightly crusty, soft, and flaky on the inside. All the while, one must be alert not to let the beef overcook inside. With all these variables to consider, making the perfect beef wellington is tough.

Forget traditional beef wellington – pork, game, salmon or mushroom filling give this classic puff pastry wrap a makeover. Here are a few of our best ideas.

Use a rolling pin to roll out a pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Place one of your beef filets in the middle of the pie crust. Put half of the mushroom pate on top of the filet and top with one of your spare mushroom caps.

Tying the tenderloin improves both the appearance of the final dish, and leads to more even cooking. Phyllo provides a moisture barrier, preventing the puff pastry from getting soggy. A double layer of plastic wrap makes it easier to wrap up the tenderloin.

But on top of its tedious cooking process, beef Wellington is also expensive. The dish typically calls for beef tenderloin, the tender cut of beef that filet mignon comes from, in addition to pricey prosciutto. With these high-priced meats, beef Wellington isn't exactly budget-friendly.

Meaning of en croute in English

baked in a pastry crust (= a hard outer layer): I hear the salmon en croute is fantastic. For my last dinner party I made mushrooms en croûte with Hollandaise sauce.

What is a croute in French slang? ›

A scab is une croûte.

Not cooking the mushroom mixture long enough

Unfortunately, beef Wellington often falls victim to soggy pastry from excess moisture. The beef Sirloin juices are one explanation, but mushroom duxelles can also cause excess liquid to soak into the crust.

Tenderize the sirloin by pounding with a meat mallet for several minutes (we're trying to simulate a filet here). In a medium-hot pan, sear the steak on all sides, about 30 seconds per side. The steak should still be rare inside at this point. Refrigerate until ready to use again.

However, the Beef Wellington most closely resembles the French filet de boeuf en croute and may well have been renamed the Beef Wellington after the Battle of Waterloo – rather than being a dish specifically created for the Duke of Wellington.

If you want to dress up your chateaubriand just a bit, one show-stopper of a traditional recipe is Beef Wellington. Essentially, it's chateaubriand coated in mushroom duxelles and liver pâté and rolled in puff pastry. There are many fabulous recipes for this classic if you want to spend the time.

If ever there was a recipe that is meant to impress, it's Beef Wellington. Beef tenderloin is wrapped in a savory mixture of mushrooms and flaky puff pastry, and the whole thing bakes in the oven to maximum magnificence – and maximum deliciousness (ask my husband, who ate almost half of it in one sitting).

2) The crepes protect the pastry from excess moisture as the beef cooks, and also helps the beef stay joicy and tender once cooked. 3) Be very careful to tightly wrap your beef – the tighter the wrapping, the better the shape, which will result in more even cooking.