Petite Beef Wellington

Directions

1. Working in batches, pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chopped mushrooms and thyme sprigs, cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to brown and stick to skillet, about 20 minutes. Add shallots and garlic, cook, stirring often, until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add red wine vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to stick to the bottom of the skillet, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon of seasoning. Spread duxelles on a baking sheet, let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs.
2. Sprinkle beef with the remaining 1 teaspoon of seasoning. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high. Cook filets until just browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate, refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to use.
3. Place a 12- x 16-inch sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Overlap 2 country ham slices to form a cross shape on the center of plastic wrap, spread 1/2 cup duxelles evenly over the ham. Pat 1 filet dry, brush with 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard and place in the center of the cross. Fold ham slices with duxelles over filets, making sure to fully encase beef. Gather and twist plastic wrap to seal it into a tight bundle. Repeat with remaining ham, duxelles, filets, and mustard. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. (Alternatively, freeze for 3 hours or up to overnight.)
4. Meanwhile, roll 1 puff pastry sheet into a 16- x 12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 2 (8-inch) circles. Repeat the process with 1 more pastry sheet. (Reserve dough scraps for another use.) Place circles between parchment paper on a baking sheet, and set aside. Roll the remaining pastry sheet into a 16-inch square, and cut out 4 (7-inch) circles. Using a square or round cutter, punch out 3/4-inch squares from the 7-inch circles to create a lattice. Discard scraps or reserve them for another use. Add lattices to baking sheet, refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Preheat oven to 425°,F. Unwrap 1 filet bundle, center bundle on 1 (8-inch) pastry circle. Lightly brush the beaten egg in a 1-inch border around the dough edge. Fold dough up and over to encase the filet bundle, pinch dough to seal, and trim off any excess dough. Place pastry bundle, seam side down, on parchment paper&ndash,lined baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining filet bundles and remaining 8-inch pastry circles. Brush pastry bundles lightly with beaten egg. Stretch 1 lattice over each pastry bundle. Tuck lattice edges under, trim excess lattice, if needed. Brush the lattice lightly with beaten egg, place thyme leaves in each lattice opening. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, 10 minutes.
6. Insert the probe of an oven-safe meat thermometer in the thickest portion of 1 bundle. (Alternatively, use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the temperature during the last few minutes of bake time.) Place baking sheet with all 4 bundles in preheated oven, immediately reduce temperature to 400°,F. Bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through bake time, until pastry is golden brown and the thermometer registers 115°,F, 30 to 32 minutes. Let rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving. (Beef temperature will rise to 130°,F for medium-rare. For rare, freeze bundles in step 2 for 3 hours or up to overnight, bake until thermometer registers 85°,F, 35 to 40 minutes. The temperature will rise to 115°,F while resting.)