Wellington fillet: nutritional properties, use in the diet and how to prepare it by R.Borgacci

What's this

What's this

The Wellington fillet (Beef Wellington) is a famous recipe, or a second meat dish, which takes its name from the English duke of the same name, made history - as well as for having awarded the Anglo-Saxon general Arthur Wellesley - for his very difficult palate to satisfy.

The main ingredient of the Wellington fillet is beef fillet, a worthy exponent of the first fundamental food group - foods rich in high biological value proteins, mineral salts and specific vitamins. However, the respective nutritional properties are compromised by the presence of the other components of the recipe, in particular the puff pastry. This is why nutritional translation can be observed: the presence of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber and a higher concentration of saturated fat and cholesterol.

The Wellington fillet lends itself only occasionally to the ordinary diet of healthy subjects. However, it has contraindications for those suffering from certain metabolic, especially genetic-inherited pathologies - such as hyperuricemia and phenylketonuria - and for those who need to keep overweight and / or other acquired diseases under control - such as hypercholesterolemia.

The Wellington fillet recipe is complex; requires a deep knowledge of cooking and baking systems, as well as some specific experience.

Did you know that ...

Wellington was the Anglo-Saxon duke who in 1815 awarded General Arthur Wellesley, the winner of the Battle of Waterloo, in which he fought with Napoleon Bonaparte. The correlation between the name of the recipe and the story is, in reality, rather ambiguous. It seems that the duke has noticed a distant similarity between the result of the new recipe and the general's boots; however, logically, this should have meant that the thread was called "alla Wellesley". It could therefore be a detail reported on the texts but completely irrelevant for the choice of the name of the famous dish.

Nutritional Properties

Nutritional properties of the Wellington fillet

The Wellington fillet is a recipe that belongs to the group of main courses or dishes, and only partially preserves the nutritional properties of the main ingredient: the fillet. Source of proteins with high biological value, vitamins - especially water-soluble B-group - and minerals - especially iron, phosphorus, zinc - specific to meat, this cut of meat is part of the first fundamental group of foods.

The Wellington fillet is a medium-high energy recipe. The calories come mainly from lipids, followed by proteins and finally by carbohydrates. Fatty acids tend to be unsaturated, peptides with a high biological value - that is, they contain all the essential amino acids in the right proportions and quantities compared to the human protein model - and complex carbohydrates.

The Wellington fillet contains a small amount of fiber and a significant - but not particularly high - level of cholesterol. Purines and the amino acid phenylalanine are abundant. Lactose is almost absent - there are traces of the disaccharide in the puff pastry, which contains butter - while gluten appears in a decisive manner. Histamine is absent or irrelevant.

The Wellington fillet contains many water-soluble B-group vitamins, such as thiamine (B1), niacin (PP), pyridoxine (B6) and cobalamin (B12), but none in quantities that can be considered particularly abundant - compared to other recipes meat based. It is also rich in minerals such as iron - highly bioavailable - and phosphorus; the quantity of zinc seems to be fair.

Diet

Wellington fillet in the diet

The Wellington fillet is a food that does not lend itself to all diets. In the diet of healthy people, it must not be present frequently and in high portions; even less in the nutritional therapy of overweight subjects or those with metabolic disorders.

Although very rich in proteins, the fillet is still rather tender, which indicates a low percentage of connective tissue and good digestibility of the meat. Nonetheless, important amounts of Wellington fillet are to be avoided - especially in the evening meal - in case of complications of digestion or pathologies such as dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia, gastritis and gastric ulcer.

By providing a medium-high amount of calories, mainly provided by lipids, the Wellington fillet is not recommended in the slimming diet against obesity - which instead should be low-calorie and normolipidic. Rich in proteins of high biological value, it is instead very useful in the diet of those who find themselves in conditions of increased need for all essential amino acids; for example: pregnancy and lactation, growth, extremely intense and / or prolonged sports, old age - due to an eating disorder and a tendency to geriatric malabsorption - pathological malabsorption, recovery from specific or generalized malnutrition, debasement etc.

Due to the average cholesterol content and the percentage not to be overlooked of saturated fat, it should be strongly limited in the diet against hypercholesterolemia - a condition that benefits instead of the increase of unsaturated fatty acids of the omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 group It is a food that has no major contraindications for diets aimed at subjects with hyperglycemia or type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension - provided of course that these conditions are not associated with severe overweight.

The Wellington fillet is one of the products to avoid, or to be consumed with extreme moderation, in the case of hyperuricemia - especially with a tendency to gouty attacks - and calculosis or renal lithiasis with uric acid crystals. It should be completely removed from the phenylketonuria diet. It has no significant implications for severe lactose intolerance while it is not recommended in celiac disease; it should also be harmless for histamine intolerance.

The Wellington fillet is an appreciable source of bio-available iron and participates in the coverage of metabolic needs, which is higher in fertile, pregnant women, marathon runners and vegetarians - especially in vegans who, obviously, would never eat this food. Note : iron deficiency can lead to iron deficiency anemia.

The Wellington fillet contributes to satisfying the phosphorus requirement, a very abundant mineral in the body - in particular in the bones in the form of hydroxyapatite, in the phospholipids of cell membranes and in nervous tissue etc. The zinc content - essential for hormone production and antioxidant enzymes - is appreciable but not particularly high.

The Wellington fillet is rich in B-group vitamins, all coenzymatic factors of great importance in cellular processes. It can therefore be considered an excellent support for the functioning of the various body tissues. It is not allowed in the vegetarian and vegan diet. It is inadequate for Hindu and Buddhist food. It is not suitable for Muslim and Jewish religions due to the presence of pork ham. Even using another product that does not derive from prohibited animals, the suitability can be compromised by the type of slaughtering and by the association of the meat with other ingredients - especially the puff pastry, which contains butter. After cooking higher than normal - exceeding 70 ° C in the heart - it is also allowed in the diet during pregnancy.

The average portion of the Wellington fillet is about 150-200 g (340-460 kcal).

recipe

How do you cook the Wellington fillet?

That of the Wellington fillet is a complicated recipe. It is necessary to carefully respect all the steps, paying particular attention to the details concerning the various heat treatments, both of the meat and of the mushrooms, but also the final completion.

Wellington fillet ingredients for 4 people

• Beef fillet: 1 whole of about 1 kg
• Fresh champignon mushrooms (field mushrooms): 400 g
• Parma ham: 100 g (about 6 slices)
• Puff pastry: 1 roll of about 250 g
• English mustard: 50 g
• Egg yolk: 20 g (1 egg yolk)
• Extra virgin olive oil: 50 g (3 tablespoons)
• Salt and black pepper: QB

Wellington fillet procedure

• Make sure the fillet is well cleaned and degreased on the outside, then season it raw with salt and black pepper
• Brown the fillet on all sides in a casserole dish - or if you prefer in a tall baking tray with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Did you know that ...

Until recently, it was assumed that the external browning of the meat was used to contain the juices contained in it during cooking. Today, however, it has been discovered that, in reality, this "scarring" has an almost irrelevant impact, while the temperature of cooking itself is of fundamental importance. If too high in fact, the heat treatment will cause a contraction of the collagen fibers that will squeeze the muscle tissue causing it to drain from most of the liquids. This implies:

1. Excessive drying inside the food
2. The "boiling" of the same - with its organoleptic and gustatory characteristics not recommended

• Brush the fillet with the English mustard and let it rest. If the browning phase is excessively prolonged, the fillet will continue to exude liquid even in the dish, after having been lacquered with the sauce - undesired effect. At this point there are two possibilities:
  • The first is to remove excess fluid, because it could affect the final result of the recipe
  • The second is to postpone the lacquering phase until the fillet has finished losing liquid. Moreover, a good part of these fluids can be recovered - due to the osmotic effect - from the flesh itself, provided that the fillet is left immersed and turned often in the container
• Meanwhile, wash, peel, dry, cut and mix the champignon mushrooms with a little salt and black pepper, making a thin cream

Did you know that ...

Mushroom connoisseurs - or presumed ones - have always advised not to wash these foods before cooking. In fact, today experts suggest instead of passing them under running water, especially when the mushrooms are picked in the wild. Dust, tiny animals, bacteria, molds, pollutants, animal urine and more, always come into contact with these products and for hygienic reasons it is good practice to wash them thoroughly.

• In a sauté (plain pan) cook the mushroom puree, adding 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil beforehand, drying it thoroughly
• Place the mushroom puree on the slices of ham, appropriately spread on a sheet of parchment paper or transparent film - to facilitate the next step - and spread them around the fillet, closing the ends
• Massage it all to homogenize the filling and let it rest for about a quarter of an hour
• Place the fillet in the center of the puff pastry again closing the ends and eliminating the excess - this step must be performed quickly, to prevent the puff pastry from losing consistency
• Brush on the outside with beaten egg yolk, cut into spikes (chimneys) and bake at 200 ° in a preheated static oven for 30 minutes; the puff pastry must acquire the classic browning.

WARNING! The Wellington fillet is cooked in blood or at most medium-blooded; it is never cooked . Some prepare it as if it were a well-cooked roast beef (about 70 ° C), but in reality the only cooked area of ​​the meat should be the external one in contact with the mushrooms. At the center this dish must remain totally - or almost - red (never beyond that rosé). Some use the probe, better if combined with the oven, to ensure that the cut at the heart is not less than 30 ° C and does not exceed in any way the 50 ° C - let's not forget that, in all probability, around will also reach 55- 65 ° C - upper limit for cooking on the blood, called "medium-to-blood" - pinkish color.

• Remove from the oven, let the temperature lower and serve the Wellington fillet by cutting it into slices of about 1.5 cm - about 150 - 200 g.