Beef Wellington is a cut of tenderloin, spread with a covering or mushrooms, chicken and other fillings, then wrapped and baked in a puff pastry.

Different sizes of fillet may be used based on servings needed. For a large party, the entire loin can be wrapped, baked, then sliced. For smaller servings, the loin can be sliced into medium-sized filets and wrapped individually.

The history and origins of Beef Wellington are still subject to debates and speculation. Many argue the dish is of French origin. Indeed, "Filet de Boeuf en Croûte" would be the right dish to sustain this notion. On the other hand, the only thing we know for sure, is that it was named to honor Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington http://www.beefwellington.org/about-beef-wellington/, which became a national hero to the British after his victory against Napoleon in 1815.

Otherwise, the Duke was not known as food lover, so it really needed this prime dish to satisfy him. Richard Nixon is another well-known fan of this dish.

Beef Wellington is based on the tenderloin, a primal cut of a non-weight-bearing muscle http://www.filet-mignon.org/about-fillet-mignon/. This is, what makes steaks from the Tenderloin so tender. The tail, the finest part is called Filet Mignon. For the traditional Beef Wellington recipe a Duxelles - a mushroom paste often based on Truffles - will be applied to the tenderloin. Foie gras, goose live pate will be smeared on puff pastry sheets in which the tenderloin has to be wrapped afterwards. After some 45 minutes of baking the dish will be ready to be served.

Today, Duxelles might be prepared with other types of mushrooms, instead of Foie gras you might just a liver pate and beef tenderloin might be replaced with pork fillet http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pork-wellington-recipe/index.html. Even variations with chicken, salmon or lobster are known. As an appetizer, a form of Mini Beef Wellington enjoys some popularity, yet individual Wellington recipes (just one slice of beef) are on the rise.

As Beef Wellington has to b baked in the oven the most natural idea for a side dish are oven baked potatoes. You can simply bake them while your Wellington meal is baking, too. A sauce, maybe a Madeira sauce and a salad are a great start for an entire menu.

A Madeira sauce is based on the same named wine from Portugal. After sautéing a finely chopped onion in a pan until the onion starts turning brown add about 60 ml of Madeira. After reducing the liquid to about the half, add 750 ml of beef stock and continue until again half the liquid remains. Season to taste, filter and add a tablespoon of butter.

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