Pork tenderloin wellington recipe

This pork tenderloin wellington recipe is a real showstopper of a dish and the perfect dinner party recipe. Sautéed mushrooms and sage stuffed in a pork tenderloin and then wrapped in prosciutto and puff pastry and served with a creamy mustard sauce? Simply divine! You can also prep, bake and serve it in just over an hour if you get all your ducks in a row first. Slice it up and serve with some fresh greens and crispy roast potatoes and a warm glass of red wine. It is definitely a recipe to whip out for a fancy dinner party, it looks impressive on the plate and is deeply satisfying to eat.

This pork tenderloin in puff pastry is succulent and tender with the salty tang of prosciutto and rich depth of the mushrooms. It is best to use a mix of dried and fresh mushrooms, and dried porcini, in particular, will add some real umami flavour. I first tried this dish when I realised that beef doesn't agree with me so much anymore, but I still wanted to eat wellington. I found this pork tenderloin wellington to be a delicious alternative and also a lot cheaper to make. Rather than surround the pork with the mushrooms, we stuff them into a slit made in the tenderloin. It makes it less messy to make and also helps keep the moisture in. Soggy pastry is often a concern with wellington recipes, and this definitely alleviates that worry!

Pork wellington does work better as a winter or cold weather recipe, and it seems quite festive too so I tend to make it most at Christmas time. It would even make a good alternative Christmas dinner idea if you don't fancy turkey! It is easy to double up as well and make twice the quantity, serving more people.

I'm a huge fan of mushrooms, I love how rich and full of flavour they are. If you love them too, you must try this mushroom and truffle cheese quiche that is the meal my boyfriend Luciano's most requests I make for him. But for now, here is my pork tenderloin wellington!

Pork tenderloin wellington ingredients

The ingredients for this pork tenderloin wellington are simple and easy to get hold of, nothing too obscure or hard to find,

• Pork tenderloin
• Proscuitto
• Dried porcini mushrooms
• Fresh chestnut mushrooms
• Fresh sage
• Puff Pastry
• Shallot
• Egg
• Dijon mustard
• Double cream
• White wine
• Salt and pepper
• Butter

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Get everything ready before you begin making this pork tenderloin wellington as there are quite a few steps and it will make things easier if you are prepared!

Soak the porcini mushrooms in boiling water for 10-15 mins (and keep the water).

Sautée the fresh mushrooms and shallot until cooked before adding the rehydrated porcini, and then keep the heat on medium/low until all the moisture evaporates. We don't want soggy pastry, so no damp ingredients, this might take a further 5-10 minutes.

Now transfer to a bowl and cool completely (in the fridge/freezer if necessary). Set the pan aside but don’t clean it as we will reuse it for the sauce.

Take the pork tenderloin and trim off any silverskin.

Make a slit all the way down the middle of the tenderloin, lengthwise, with a knife but being careful not to cut all the way through.

Now carefully stuff the cooled mushroom filling into the slit in the pork and reform together. It can help to wrap it in clingfilm and put it back in the fridge to help it keep its shape whilst getting the pastry ready.

Roll the pastry out into a rectangular shape that is big enough to fit the stuffed pork tenderloin inside and join up around it. Score a crisscross pattern on the pastry lightly with a knife and then flip over and place onto a baking tray. Layer the prosciutto slices directly on the puff pastry.

Place the stuffed pork tenderloin lengthways onto the prosciutto and puff pastry. Lift up each long side around the loin, pressing together the edges and brushing seams with egg wash. This is a bit tricky, so take care. Then roll the 2 short sides up and press them together to form a parcel, tucking in the sides and sealing with more egg wash, trimming any excess.

Gently roll the pork tenderloin wellington over so that the seam is on the bottom and brush all over with egg wash.

Bake at 425F / 220C for 20 minutes until golden, then remove to a cooling rack for 15 minutes. The pork will be perfectly done and tender.

Whilst it is resting, make the sauce. Heat the same pan you used for the mushrooms and melt some butter in it before adding diced shallot and sautéing for 1 minute until soft. Deglaze with a splash of white wine, then add the reserved porcini broth and cream before leaving it to reduce by ⅓ and stirring in the mustard.

Slice up the wellington and drizzle with the mushroom cream sauce. We paired this with a delicious Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Stewart Cellars that we bought when we visited them in Napa. It all disappeared too fast, as it always does.

Equipment

It is best to rest the pork tenderloin wellington on a cooling rack to let air get all around the puff pastry and prevent it from going soggy.

Storage

I recommend eating this pork wellington immediately, it will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days but the puff pastry will likely lose its crunch.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Share something here that you think is key to making this recipe well, such as: Don't overcook the burgers! Sear the outside and cook to a minimum internal temperature, but they should still be juicy for best results.

Food safety

We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.