Beef Brisket Wellingtons
Tender, flavorful smoked brisket baked in crisp, flaky puff pastry served with a sweet, spicy, tangy cranberry sauce. It’s lavish enough for the most special occasion but with non of the guess work or worry of a traditional beef wellington.
Beef Brisket Wellington
Yield: 6-8 servings
Smoky, savory brisket in tender, flaky pastry accompanied by a spicy, tangy, sweet cranberry sauce is a knockout appetizer or main dish for any occasion. Smoking a brisket to make this recipe is well worth it, but it’s also a great use for leftover brisket. And if you’ve never heard of “leftover” brisket, you can always order brisket from your favorite BBQ place. Make the cranberry sauce and cook the mushrooms a day or two in advance, so assembling and serving the wellingtons will be a breeze.
Ingredients
Spicy Cranberry Sauce
- 2 ½ cups (8 oz.) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup (4 oz.) sliced, jalapenos in escabeche with the brine
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Wellingtons
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and dried
- 1 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flake
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic glaze
- 2 pounds (32 oz.) chilled, smoked beef brisket (see directions on how it should be cut).
- 1 large egg
- 2 9 X 9- inch sheets puff pastry
- Cooking oil spray
Instructions
Make the Spicy Cranberry Sauce
- Place the cranberries, sugar, water, jalapenos in escabeche and their brine, brown sugar, and vinegar in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Stir, reduce heat to medium and simmer until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has begun to thicken, about 20 minutes.
- Allow sauce to cool slightly then strain it through a fine sieve, using a spoon or spatula to press all the liquid through into the bowl.
- Discard the solids from the sieve.
- Serve the sauce warm or cold.
Make the Wellingtons
- Slice the mushrooms thin.
- Heat a heavy bottom skillet over low heat add the oil. When the oil is shimmering add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flake.
- Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have cooked off most of their liquid and they are beginning to brown.
- Add the balsamic glaze to the mushrooms and cook, stirring until it is absorbed.
- Remove the mushrooms from the heat and allow to cool completely.
- To make the wellingtons:
- Cut the brisket into two rectangular pieces 7 inches long by 3 inches wide, by 2 inches tall. This cut is a bit unusual for brisket because the grain of the beef should run the length of the piece. This is so the brisket will be cut against the grain when the baked wellingtons are sliced. You can place two or three smaller pieces in the pastry end to end to achieve the same result if necessary.
- Beat the egg with a teaspoon of water to make an egg wash.
- Roll the puff pastry sheets out slightly so they are 11” long by 9.5” wide.
- Place one sheet of puff pastry on a piece of plastic wrap.
- Spread half of the mushroom mixture into a seven-inch strip down the center of the puff pastry.
- Place the brisket on top of the mushrooms, fold the puff pastry around the brisket. Brush the edges with egg wash and use the plastic wrap to help close and seal the pastry around brisket. Trim any excess pastry on the ends and wrap the plastic wrap firmly around the wellingtons to help hold everything securely.
- Repeat the process with the second piece of puff pastry and brisket.
- Chill both wellingtons in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
- To bake:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Place the wellingtons on a rack and brush the puff pastry with egg wash. Allow excess egg wash to drip off.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it lightly with cooking oil spray.
- Carefully transfer the wellingtons to the lined baking sheet.
- Use the side of a metal spatula or the back of a butter knife to gently mark decorations in the egg wash if desires.
- Bake the wellingtons in the preheated oven until the puff pastry is puffed and golden brown and the brisket is heated through to at least 160F. Use an instant read thermometer to probe through the side of the wellington to check the temperature.
- Slice each wellington into eight pieces and serve with the spicy cranberry sauce. The brisket is fully cooked and reheated do it doesn’t need to rest before being sliced and served.
