How NYC’s Best Beef Wellington is Made | Made to Order | Bon Appétit

Quick Overview

Chef TJ Hoy of Gage & Tollner demonstrates how to create his signature Beef Wellington, which features a filet mignon wrapped in bacon, Swiss chard, duxelles, mustard, and a decorative lattice of pâte brisée, emphasizing the importance of chilling components to prevent a soggy crust before baking at 400°F for 20 minutes.

Key Points: The Beef Wellington recipe uses a 10-ounce prime filet mignon, which is seared on all sides and then cooled before assembly. The unique component in this Wellington is a layer of rainbow Swiss chard mixed with a creamy béchamel and cooled duxelles (mushroom paste) to act as a barrier against moisture. The assembly involves layering the seared filet on the bacon, then the duxelles/chard/béchamel mixture, and finally wrapping it all in pâte brisée dough decorated with a lattice pattern. The assembled Wellington is brushed with an egg wash (egg mixed with water) to ensure an even golden-brown crust during baking. The dish is baked at 400°F for 20 minutes, followed by a 5-minute rest before slicing. The final plating includes the Wellington resting on a bed of mashed potatoes seasoned with chives, parsley, tarragon, and chervil, drizzled with a red wine demi-glace.

Context: TJ Hoy, Chef de Cuisine at Gage & Tollner, a historic Brooklyn restaurant recognized by the Michelin Guide (2022-2025) as potentially 'The Best Steakhouse in NYC,' walks through the detailed process of constructing his elevated version of Beef Wellington. This recipe deviates from tradition by incorporating a creamy béchamel sauce and rainbow Swiss chard into the mushroom duxelles layer, which coats the seared filet mignon.

Detailed Analysis

Chef TJ Hoy guides the viewer through making his unique Beef Wellington, starting with preparing the components. First, he seasons a 10-ounce prime filet mignon with kosher salt and black pepper, sears all sides in neutral oil until browned (avoiding overcooking the interior), and then cools it completely (00:47-03:04). Next, he prepares the Duxelles (mushroom paste) by sautéing finely chopped cremini, maitake, beech, and king trumpet mushrooms with shallots, garlic, and leeks, deglazing with white wine and cooking until dry (03:07-05:26). He then incorporates a roux-thickened béchamel (made with roux and scalded milk) and blanched, chopped rainbow Swiss chard into the duxelles mixture, adding Dijon whole-grain mustard for spice (05:37-07:55). The filet is coated in the mustard mixture, wrapped in thin slices of house-smoked and cured bacon (08:04-08:35), and then placed on a sheet of pâte brisée dough. The Duxelles/chard mixture is spread over the bacon, followed by the filet, and then the entire assembly is wrapped tightly in the dough, with the edges sealed using egg wash (08:38-10:58). A lattice design is cut into an extra piece of dough and draped over the top (11:21-11:52). The assembled Wellington is brushed with egg wash and baked at 400°F for 20 minutes, followed by a 5-minute rest (11:53-14:01). For plating, the Wellington is placed on a bed of mashed potatoes seasoned with chives, parsley, tarragon, and chervil, and finished with a red wine demi-glace (14:10-14:17).