Pork Fillet Wellington

Pork Wellington with prosciutto - a refined recipe for the Christmas table

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Number of servings: 6

Pork Wellington is an elegant and flavorful dish, perfect for impressing guests during the holidays. This recipe combines the taste of pork with the intense flavors of prosciutto and mustard, resulting in a dish that will surely be appreciated by everyone at the Christmas table. Additionally, it is a simple yet sophisticated recipe that will add a touch of refinement to your menu.

Ingredients:
- 1 pork tenderloin (approximately 1 kg)
- 200 g prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 500 g mushrooms (preferably champignon or shiitake)
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 package of puff pastry (approximately 500 g)
- 1 egg (for glazing)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs (e.g., rosemary or thyme) for added flavor

Step 1: Preparing the pork tenderloin
Start by preheating the oven to 200°C. Meanwhile, season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the tenderloin and sear it on all sides for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown. This step is essential for creating a savory crust. Once seared, let it cool slightly, then generously coat it with Dijon mustard.

Step 2: Preparing the mushroom filling
In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until translucent. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and cook until all the moisture evaporates. This mixture will add deep flavor and moisture to the dish. Once the mushrooms are cooked, let the mixture cool.

Step 3: Assembling the Wellington
On a plastic wrap, lay out the slices of prosciutto in a shape that completely covers the tenderloin. Spread the mushroom mixture on top. Then, place the pork tenderloin in the center of the prosciutto and roll it tightly, using the wrap to help. Let it chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up a bit.

Step 4: Wrapping in pastry
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and unwrap it, then place it on the pastry. Wrap it well, ensuring the pastry overlaps at the ends. Brush the surface of the pastry with beaten egg for a golden, glossy crust.

Step 5: Baking
Place the Wellington on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crispy. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the tenderloin; it should be around 65°C.

Step 6: Serving
Once out of the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve sliced, accompanied by sides such as buttery mashed potatoes with fresh herbs or grilled vegetables.

Possible variations:
If you want to add a unique element, you can include some chopped nuts (e.g., walnuts or hazelnuts) in the mushroom filling for added texture. You can also experiment with different types of meat, such as beef or chicken, or introduce a layer of pesto between the prosciutto and mushrooms for an intense flavor.

This pork Wellington recipe with prosciutto will turn your Christmas meal into a celebration of fine tastes and sophisticated flavors. It will surely be a hit among guests!

A few hours before preparing the animal, I rub it with a little olive oil and season it well with all the spices mentioned above, including salt, excluding mustard. Many add it at the end, but I can’t manage to swallow unsalted food. Rubbing the piece of raw meat well with salt makes it melt and penetrate the tissues quite deeply. Frying seals it, and I am scared that it won’t be salty enough in the center. (God forbid I get any illness from a no salt diet.) We leave it in the fridge for a few hours; I didn't have much time and left it for less. Then we take it out and place it in a pot taller than the piece of meat, but with a diameter close to its length, in which we put 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, or if you don’t have it, butter. We fry it well on all sides, including the ends, until it becomes brown. We wrap it in foil and let it cool. (I, in a hurry, put it on the windowsill; I didn’t want to put it in the fridge while it was hot.) We take the cooled piece of meat and rub it well with mustard. We roll out the puff pastry a little more, leaving it on its baking paper. In the center of the dough, we place half of the slices of prosciutto crudo; I used Parma, as it is the best! (You can double the amount of prosciutto if you love this delicacy, like I do.) We place the animal over the slices of prosciutto and cover it with the remaining slices. We carefully close the dough, sealing it well. I coated it with breadcrumbs, but I do not recommend it; I think it would remain better sealed without it. I had some leftover dough, and I played a little, but in an extraordinary hurry, as you can see. We put it in a tray and brush it with a diluted egg yolk with a little milk and poke the dough in a few places with a fork. We put it in the preheated oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 1 hour. After about 20 minutes, it will start to brown. When you decide it’s brown enough, cover it with a sheet of foil or with wet and squeezed baking paper. To avoid the bottom part of the dough remaining raw, after 30-40 minutes, turn it upside down, or if you decorated it, on one side. Leave it until it reaches 1 hour. It will be baked to the exact point, neither rare nor overcooked. This was the elimination test, and it passed all criteria with an A+. For Christmas, I will, of course, use a piece double in size, so 2 packages of puff pastry, and I promise to make it prettier and post the pictures. Good luck with your work!

 Ingredients: 700 g pork tenderloin (you can vary the weight) 100 g prosciutto crudo 1 puff pastry 1 egg yolk for brushing salt, pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic 3-4 tablespoons olive oil (or butter) mustard (a good one, maybe Dijon)

 Tags:  fillet meat pig wellington christmas