D.C. chef steps up to the plate with Beef Wellington for Castillo
#BeefMode has taken Phoenix by a storm; five home runs in six games will do that for a fellow's popularity.
Welington Castillo has been a revelation for the Diamondbacks since being acquired from the Mariners in an early June trade for Mark Trumbo. And with the increasing frequency of his home runs, the more popular his nickname "Beef Welington" and the hashtag #BeefMode have become in the Phoenix market.
But as he explained to FOX Sports Arizona last week in Houston, he'd never sampled the classic epicurean creation.
So FOX Sports Arizona producer Brian Henry and reporter Jody Jackson conspired to resolve that unfortunate circumstance.
Stepping up to the plate -- literally -- was Nathan Street, executive chef at Smith & Wollensky's in Washington, D.C., who prepared and delivered a meal to Castillo on Tuesday afternoon at Nationals Park. And since Castillo wasn't scheduled to be in the starting lineup, he had plenty of time to enjoy the meal and share it with teammates and team personnel.
That's my son! He's an incredible chef! https://t.co/aJbhozskPb
— RaNae Street (@RanaeStreet) August 4, 2015
We suspect that Castillo is not the only one who is unfamiliar with the signature creation, so a spokesperson for Smith & Wollensky's was glad to serve up some information. The dish dates back to 1814 and is named not after a baseball player, but the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley. It was his favorite dish and sparked its popularity.
As for the preparation: "Filet mignon that is seared, coated in foie gras, mushroom duxelle, wrapped in crepes, puff pastry and then baked. It's an elegant main course that is decadent with the tender filet, rich mushroom and foie gras, and buttery puff pastry. We offer it as an occasional special -- and any time for Welington Castillo!"
As pictures will attest, Castillo seemed to enjoy the meal, as did some of his teammates and others in the traveling party.
