Yesterday, I had the distinct honor to make Mother’s day dinner for eight people! For such an occasion, I figured it was appropriate to pull out all the stops and make a meal commensurate for the occasion. While that is a thinly veiled warning to someone looking for an easy meal to make, this meal is absolutely worth the effort…and furthermore, it’s totally customizable! I used imported Welsh Cheddar Cheese and caramelized onions to complement the pork tenderloin inside the Wellington, but the possibilities are endless! Try using asparagus spears, sauteed spinach, sauteed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and any sharp cheese you want!
This Wellington doesn’t require a sauce, but we had the luxury of having the world’s best homemade apple sauce within reach (thank you, Gramma!)…so I spread a thin layer across the top to give my meal that salty sweet flavour blend I love! Then, we served it with mashed potatoes and cauliflower, sauteed green beans, and steamed carrots. However, the meal lends itself nicely to some fantastic other sides like Butter Cabbage, Sauerkraut, Mashed Celery Root, Roasted or Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Carrots, and/or Broccoli Slaw Salad.
Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Pork Tenderloin
- Onion
- Cheddar. The sharper the better!
- Prosciutto (or Schinken!)
- Puff Pastry (thawed). You will need between 4 and 5 ounces per Wellington. I had a 14 oz pack, and I cut it into thirds to make three.
- Whole Grain Dijon. I didn’t use because a few people who I was cooking aren’t fans, but it would be an excellent addition.
Method:
- Begin by slicing and caramelizing your onions in a little oil or butter. When they are a nice golden brown, set them aside in a bowl. **If you use a pan large enough to fit a pork tenderloin in, you’ll have less cleanup to do**
- Slice your pork tenderloin in half long-ways, and sear them in a hot pan (preferably your onion pan). Set aside to let cool a little.
- While the pork cools, cut the cheese (and make any necessary jokes as you do)
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- When the pork is close enough to room temperature, lay your prosciutto in an overlapping fashion so it forms a rectangle that can fully envelop your pork when it’s rolled up. For me that took about 6 slices per wellington…4 facing perpendicular to me, and two facing parallel to me (see the second method picture below if that makes no sense as written)
- Put one half of your pork tenderloin on the prosciutto, and top it with onions and cheese.
- If adding the mustard, spread it on the pork before adding the onion and cheese.
- For cross-contamination sake, don’t double dip your utensil in your mustard jar…use a new knife for each spreading if you don’t grab enough at first.
- Place the other half of the tenderloin on top of the bottom one.
- Stealing a page from Alton Brown here, make sure that the thick end of the top half is lined up over the thin end of the bottom half. Since the tenderloin is a tapered muscle, this will give your overall Wellington a uniform shape.
- Carefully, wrap this whole thing up in the prosciutto, and set aside.
- Sprinkle some flour on a clean and flat surface. Then, take a 4-5 oz rectangle of puff pastry, and sprinkle a little flour on top of it. Then, with a rolling pin, roll it to a rectangle roughly large enough to wrap around the entire roll of pork/prosciutto.
- Roll the whole thing up! Then, dip your hands in a little water, and run it down the seam of the dough to help it adhere. Then place it on a foil covered and lightly sprayed baking sheet.
- Toss the whole thing in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until the pastry is a nice golden brown and has puffed up nicely. If you want the dough to come out shiny, give it a little egg wash on top before putting it in the oven.
- When your Wellington is ready to come out, remove it from the oven, and let it sit for about 5 minutes before cutting in.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
