Christmas Beef

Choose Organic Beef This Christmas and Try Our Beef Wellington Recipe

Although it’s thought that more than 75% of families will choose turkey this Christmas, at Eversfield Organic we’re big fans of organic beef taking centre stage on our dinner tables. And we’re not alone either. Roast beef at Christmas is still a popular centrepiece choice, alongside turkey, goose and duck. The long history of eating beef in the UK is as prominent today as it always has been, with roast beef the jewel in the crown. However, if you’re still fancying a traditional Christmas turkey, why not try our organic beef wellington recipe on Boxing Day using our organic beef fillet? Perfect for festive dinner parties…

A Beef History

Roast beef, especially on a Sunday, is a truly classic British dish. As far back as the 12^th century, cookbooks mainly consisted of beef recipes. The versatility and longevity of beef is what made it so appealing to our ancestors, feasting on a roasting joint on Sunday and serving leftovers throughout the week. From beef stews to slow cook casseroles, beef leftover recipes ensured the whole family were fed.

Beef is so quintessentially British, that even the royal family would enjoy a beef banquet at Christmas. And of course, it’s the reason we still call the guards at the Tower of London Beefeaters. The appreciation of a traditionally cooked, British roast beef – simply hung and cooked until tender – is felt across the country. And when better to enjoy such a classic than at Christmas?

Eversfield Organic Beef

There’s one sure way to get the best of British beef dishes – by choosing organic and grass fed beef. The organic beef available at Eversfield Organic is from our very own organic farm on the edge of Dartmoor, or from a small family of local beef farmers. Wherever our beef is sourced from, you can count on full traceability right back to the very field the cattle grazed in.

All our organic beef is grass fed and finished for life, and they spend the majority of their days grazing the organic pastures. On our PFL certified Devon farm, our herd of Aberdeen Angus heritage cattle spend a minimum of 200 days outdoors. Even the highest welfare supermarkets can only guarantee 120 days of outside grazing. When the cattle are moved inside, they’re fed on preserved pasture in the form of hay.

Our organic grass fed beef is from traditional, British cattle breeds (such as our own herd of Aberdeen Angus), who are slow reared for natural development. This results in a beautifully marbled final cut of organic beef. The grass fed beef is hung in our very own farm butchery for at least 28 days to really develop a full flavour and tenderness.

What’s more, the organic and grass fed nature of our beef means it’s better for human health. Organic beef has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and less saturated fats, plus higher levels of antioxidants and nutrients.

Beef Wellington Recipe

Beef Wellington is the perfect way to showcase our organic beef this Christmas. A true showstopper and dinner party winner, try this Christmas beef wellington recipe using our 28 Day Dry Aged Beef Whole Fillet. And whether you choose to use a pre-made puff pastry dough or make your own from scratch (see below for our suggested puff pastry recipe), you can count on this beef wellington recipe for your festive party needs.

You’ll need:

• 28 Day Dry Aged Beef Whole Fillet, 1.5kg
• 500g Puff Pastry Dough
• 120g Pyman’s Chicken Liver Pâté with Chestnut Mushroom
• 400g Organic Chestnut Mushrooms, diced
• 1 Organic Onion, diced
• 1 sprig of Organic Thyme
• 2 Organic Egg yolks

Method:

1. Sear all the sides of the beef in a frying pan for a few seconds. Remove from the pan and leave to one side.
2. Fry the mushrooms and onions in the frying pan for a few minutes, then add the thyme to make the Duxelle. Move contents to a blender and blitz until combined.
3. Unfold the puff pastry dough and spread the pâté over it. Place the organic beef fillet on top and then layer the beef with the Duxelle. Wrap up the pastry.
4. Cook in a pre-heated oven (180°C) for 30-40 minutes, depending on how you like your beef.
5. Once cooked, slice and serve with a red wine gravy.

Puff Pastry Recipe

If you’d like to test your culinary skills (or maybe have a little bit of time to kill), you can always try to make your own puff pastry for your Christmas beef wellington.

You’ll need:

• 350g Doves Farm Fine Plain White Flour
• 225g Eversfield Organic Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks
• 65g Ice water
• Pinch of Salt

Method:

1. Using a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt with a whisk or fork. Using two sharp knives (or a pastry blender if you have one), cut the butter into the flour until butter is around half the size it previously was.
2. Pour cold water into the bowl and stir until the mixture just comes together.
3. Heavily flour your work surface, place the dough and gently pat into a square shape. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour.
4. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a thin, long rectangle. Fold the top of the dough down, and the bottom up. Rotate the dough 90°, lightly dust with flour, roll and fold again.
5. Continue this method of folding for another 5-10 times until the dough is smooth. Upon the final folding, leave folded and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
6. When ready, use this dough in the beef wellington recipe above.