Irish Beef Wellington

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I said I would not include beef recipes on this Irish cooking blog since Irish beef was so tasteless in the 80s when we lived in Trim, Ireland--yet looked so wonderful sitting in the butchers' cases. But I cannot ignore Beef Wellington since the Duke of Wellington plays such an important role in the town of Trim where he spent his youth. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, 1769 to 1852, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. Wellies are named for him. Wellesley was born in Dublin but spent his youth in Trim, County Meath so he plays a prominent role in the tourist trade, marketing, and mythology of the town.  There is a Hotel Wellington, a pub called the Iron Duke, the school where he was educated, and on and on. Wellesley rose to prominence as a general during the Peninsular Campaign of the Napoleonic Wars and was promoted to the rank of field marshal after leading the Allied forces to victory against the French at the Battle of Vitoria in 1813. Following Napoleon's exile in 1814, he served as the ambassador to France and was granted a dukedom. During the Hundred Days in 1815, he commanded the Allied army which defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

                     Carla Mooney and I sitting in downtown Trim 1985
 

An opponent of parliamentary reform, he was given the epithet the "Iron Duke" because of the iron shutters he had fixed to his windows to stop the pro-reform mob from breaking them. He was twice prime minister of the United Kingdom under the Tory party and oversaw the passage of Catholic Relief Act 1829. He was prime minister from 1828-30 and served briefly in 1834. He was unable to prevent the passage of the Reform Act of 1832 and continued as one of the leading figures in the House of Lords until his retirement. He remained Commander-in-Chief of the British Army until his death.  So here is a great recipe for Beef Wellington. Think of the Iron Duke the next time you enjoy this dish.

 

 

 

 

Irish Beef Wellington [Serves 4]

Ingredients:

4 [6 oz.] individual beef filets
4 pastry portions [5" squares, 1/8" thick]
Brandy for marinade
2 eggs
1 T. of water
4 large mushrooms, sliced
4 T. bordelaise sauce [recipe below]
4 slices of liver pâté [recipe below]
4 oz. of grated gruyere

Directions:

 

Marinate filets in brandy overnight.  Remove and pat dry.  Beat eggs with water.  Arrange pastry squares on baking sheet and brush with the egg mixture. 
Place a slice of pâté on each square, and top with half of the mushroom slices, ½ oz. grated cheese, and ½ T. of bordelaise sauce.  Place filet on top, add ½ tsp. of sauce, ½ oz. of cheese, and remaining mushroom slices on each. Fold dough around the meat sealing completely.  Lightly brush pastry with remaining egg wash. Bake in a preheated 450° oven for 20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

Bordelaise Sauce: [Recipe courtesy of gatewaygourmet.com]

Ingredients:

¼ cup of finely chopped shallots
1 oz. of butter
4 oz. of diced beef bone marrow or butter
¼ tsp. of cracked black peppercorn
1 sprig of fresh thyme
½ cup of red wine
1 cup of demi-glace [There is a recipe for demi-glace at gatewaygourmet.com for 2 gallons, or you can purchase Demi-Glace Gold® online available in two sizes. A demi-glace is a rich concentrated brown stock that is carefully reduced until it forms a deep meaty flavored glaze. This intensely flavored reduction is used as a base for producing wonderful, rich, velvety sauces and soups.  It is the base for dozens of classic and everyday sauces and is considered one of the 5 mother sauces. If you are going to make any classic brown sauce, you want to have a quality demi glace to start with.]

Directions:

 

Melt butter in a sauce pan and sauté shallots for approximately 2 minutes until transparent. Add red wine and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes to an essence. Add thyme and peppercorns and reduce further for  another 2 to 3 minutes until almost no liquid remains. Add demi-glace and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until sauce begins to thicken. In a separate pan, if using the bone marrow, simmer the diced bone marrow in water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain water and add to sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Otherwise, add the butter to the sauce and simmer.

 

Liver Pâté: [altered recipe courtesy of Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com]
 

Ingredients:

• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium clove garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup of butter or 5 T. rendered chicken fat
• 1 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 pound chicken livers cooked in sherry and butter
• 20 grinds of black pepper
• Generous pinch of ground nutmeg

Directions:

Gently sauté onion and garlic in the butter or fat over low heat until browned, but not burned. Sprinkle onions and garlic with salt as soon as they begin to wilt. Scrape the sautéed onion, garlic, and drippings into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Blend until smooth. Slice the eggs in half and add the eggs, cooked chicken livers, black pepper, and nutmeg. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, keeping in mind that flavor will increase during refrigeration. Scrape liver mixture into plastic wrap-lined bowl. Cover with another layer of plastic wrap, pressing wrap to touch the top of the pate. Refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight.