a piece of the beef tenderloin is quickly seared on all sides and then

enveloped in a duxelle (a paste made from mushrooms), thin strips of lard and
an outer layer of puff pastry. This package is then cooked in an oven so that
the pastry around it is baked and the meat inside is brought to the desired
doneness at the same time.

Whether the often held believe that the dish was invented in celebration of
the first Duke of Wellington’s victory at Waterloo is true, or whether the dish
predates 1815, being base on the continental filet de bœuf en croute, cannot
be decided here.