When I asked Wade what he wanted for dinner for his birthday he said he wanted a filet mignon and Italian cheesecake. The Italian cheesecake has been a repeat for this occasion and the filet mignon seemed like a fun challenge.
In the meantime, during the preparation for the trip to Mexico City for the 2021 Christmas, the Lobas ladies had been discussing different options for Christmas Eve dinner, which is the utmost special occasion in Mexico. During the back and forth from featuring turkey, bacalao a la Vizcaina y romeritos and me not liking the idea at all, I found that the Les Moustaches restaurant features a dine-in or take-out dinner package that includes their specialty, Beef Wellington. This made me very curious. The Lobas ended up deciding against dining out and I got scared about takeout beef tenderloin so this came to an end.
What about turning the filet mignon into a Beef Wellington? A normal-sized Beef Wellington seemed complicated since it would be difficult to cook appropriately given its size. So I decide on baby Beef Wellingtons or Wellies.
Off to the fancy supermarket I went, and I purchased three 8-ounce pieces of beef tenderloin (chateaubriand). I also purchased pork pate, baby portabella, European butter, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, fresh thyme, and puff pastry. I happened upon cranberry-walnut bread and I added it to the cart to be enjoyed during the week.
To make a long story short, I made the veggies very simply: the carrots and the asparagus were boiled in salty water, and sauteed the cherry tomatoes with olive oil and salt. For the individual Beef Wellingtons, I followed the recommendations by Chef John here and decided on a more rustic look.
Auntie Kitty mentioned that the Les Moustaches plate features a port sauce. I made one experiment with various recipes. The port wine I had available was too sweet and I learned that a tawny port is best. To counter the sweetness, I started by adding red wine vinegar, then apple cider vinegar, and finally lemon juice.
Notes
- Buy the tenderloin in one piece and divide it at home. Buying individual cuts will result in mismatched shapes and different weights. Cut individual pieces to not more than 1-1/2 inches thick. Thicker pieces will result in rare centers when the puff pastry is cooked.
- Make sure to remove the shallot layer immediately after the papery one. This layer retains its papery texture and will not cook well. If using the food processor, make sure that all pieces are even.
- Cutting the mushrooms by hand will result in bigger pieces than when using the food processor. If using the food processor work in batches to avoid uneven pieces.
- Use a clean skillet to sear the meat. If there are bits of mushrooms left they will burn and make them useless for a pan sauce.
Ingredients
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