Make Mini Beef Rainboots for a Fashionable Football Party
Assembling a classic Beef Wellington is quite a dramatic process. There’s a hectic rolling procedure, a long baking time, and when you slice it to serve, all the delicious treats fall out. As with my 2023 prediction, I decided to take the drama out of this and turn this giant meat dish into a small appetizer.
Make beef dumplings
If you haven’t tried Wellington beef yet, it’s quite an impressive meal. It starts by roasting a sumptuous cut of beef, tenderloin, dipping it in Dijon mustard and wrapping it in layers of pâté, duxelle (finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs), prosciutto and puff pastry. Sounds delicious, and it is, but it’s a pain in my tenderloin. The layering and rolling process is the hardest part because things can go wrong. Dijon and pâté can become needlessly sticky, prosciutto can rip, duxelle in jars can fall out, and puff pastry has a short window before being “flexible” becomes a “sloppy mess.”
I don’t want to have anything to do with it, so these are little rubber boots! Instead of fiddling with all the wrapping and rolling nonsense, I opted for a more dumpling-like look. Not only are they much easier to assemble, but also preparation and cooking time are reduced significantly. As with the traditional version, you’ll start by making the duxelles and set them aside to cool.
Roast, rest, then portion the meat
Normally you would roll up the steak and sear the entire tenderloin for about 15 minutes to get a nice color on each side, but since you’re cooking a mini, it only takes a couple of minutes to sear the smaller cut of beef. Small pieces are very easy to overcook, so just try to get the color on both sides. First, I cut the steak into cubes so that it fried quickly. While the speed was there, I wish they were less well made. To avoid my fate, pan-fry the entire piece of steak, set it aside in a small bowl to cool, and then cut it into individual pieces.
Roll up and bake
Baking line with parchment paper. Cut a sheet of defrosted puff pastry in half lengthwise, then cut each strip into three squares so you have six evenly sized squares. We wash the egg around the perimeter of each square of dough. Place a square of prosciutto in the center (or a grated layer, because prosciutto never does what you want), top with about two teaspoons of duxelles and some pâté. Add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the bowl of beef and toss the cubes until they are lightly coated with mustard. Place a cube in the center of each prepared dough square. (Alternatively, you can skip the mustard and serve it on the side for dipping, which I did, but the picture above gives you an idea of the build.)
Pull all four corners of the puff pastry up and over the filling until they meet and pinch the egg-washed seams securely. Lightly coat exterior walls with egg for a little aesthetic browning (you can do some decorative, light cutting, but it’s not necessary). Bake at 415°F for 10-15 minutes or until dough is completely risen and browned.
The result is a high quality beef pastry that tastes like classic Wellington beef in every way. Such a plate is suitable as a snack for a date or watching a football match. The shape of the dumpling ensures that all the ingredients stay inside with every bite and there is no need to cut into slices. Make some with pâté and some without, or take out the dijon and set it aside for dipping (my favorite style). This miniature iteration makes it easy to save a few pennies by simply using a different cut of meat. The tenderloin is fantastic, but you can use a small, grillable cut of steak, such as a sirloin, ribeye, or New York strip.
Mini Cow Wellington Boots
Ingredients:
- 6-8 ounce duxelles , chilled
- 8 oz steak (tenderloin, fillet or striped steak)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 slices of prosciutto
- 1 ounce pate
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
- egg wash
Preheat oven to 415°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Fry a piece of steak in olive oil over high heat. About 1-2 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool. Cut the steak into six equally sized pieces and set aside in a small bowl. Once the beef has cooled slightly, add the dijon and stir through.
Cut the thawed puff pastry sheet into six equal squares. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the edges of each piece with egg. Tear off or cut off a small piece of prosciutto and place it in the center of the pastry. Top with a teaspoon or two of duxelles. Put a drop of pate on the mushrooms. Place one piece of Dijon-breaded beef in the center of the filling. Pull all four corners of the dough square together, up and over the filling. Pinch the seam securely. Using a toothpick or paring knife, make a tiny vent hole at the top of each cookie. Lightly wash the outer walls with an egg.
Bake at 415°F for 10-15 minutes or until dough is completely risen and browned. Let cool slightly before serving.