Review: Trader Joe's - Beef en Croute

Trader Joe's Beef en Croute features beef tenderloin and mushroom duxelle wrapped in puff pastry.

A 25-oz package cost me $14.99.

Beef en croute ("beef in crust" or "crusted beef") is apparently the French version of Beef Wellington and they're basically the same dish.

I tried cooking mine on a rack in hopes of better air circulation and more crisping on the bottom during baking but there was too much moisture that seeped through the bottom and the dough ended up pushing through the grid of the rack, which left me with some odd kernels of soft dough. Maybe browning it on a cast iron pan prior to baking might be the way to go. The sides and top of the pastry fared a lot better with a thin crispy layer and a good deal of rosemary flavor that was accompanied by a wonderful aroma from the herb.

Inside the mushrooms were finely chopped and overly salted. There was a decent savory flavor to it otherwise.

The tenderloin was tender and juicy but really under-seasoned (it's particularly notable as the tenderloin is a lean cut that lacks in flavor). Following the instructions on the box left the middle portion medium to medium-rare while the ends were well-done.

Overall, Trader Joe's Beef en Croute wasn't worth the price of admission for me. While the pastry portion was nice enough, there wasn't enough going on with the mushrooms and the beef to hold my interest. Trader Joe's Turkey and Stuffing en Croute is the better buy here. It's bigger, cheaper, and tastier (Unfortunately, it was also sold out and, unlike last year, they weren't stocking it through Christmas this year).

Nutritional Info - Trader Joe's Beef en Croute
Serving Size - 1/5 package (142g)
Calories - 320 (from Fat - 180)
Fat - 20g (Saturated Fat - 10g)
Sodium - 340mg
Carbs - 18g (Sugar - less than 1g)
Protein - 17g