Birchrun Hills Veal Flank Steaks stuffed with Oley Valley Mushrooms, Phoenixville Farmers Market
The painted façade beneath the bridge hosted a parallel square of lined farmer and artisan vendors selling their fresh goods as the wind howled through the arched opening. Most customers often huddled together bundled up with their only visible distinction being brightly flushed cheeks pulled down between wool hats and scarves.
Vendors still drew crowds among loyal neighbors and the greater community at Phoenixville Farmers Market this past Saturday despite the frigid still quiet, speaking little more than a brief greeting and decided order request.
The hushed silence was broken only by the occasional shrill buzz from the spinning metal machine of the market knife sharpener specialist .
With the exception of firmly grasping around a cardboard cup filled with steaming hot floral tea of the day leather gloves proved not a good choice for the snow warned forecast molding the black fabric tightly into five curves requiring energetic tugging before trembling in the bitterness attempting to separate and pass over the bills of payment then painfully clenching the paper bag of purchased fresh contents within.
Unlikely was casual perusing among the farmers and artisans that day and any lack of pre-planning required imminent decision making, a baguette, a rustic crusty white bread, a bagged packet of white peach sangria pure blend tea, a paper bag filled with potatoes still covered with bits of earth, fresh stuffed raviolis, some raw milk blue cheese.
The decidedly inspired meal of the evening, Birchrun Hills Farm veal flank steaks later seared and stuffed from a generous bag of mixed Pennsylvania award winning mushrooms from Oley Valley Mushroom Farm, meaty shitakes, soft greyish oysters, nutty, buttery royal trumpets and firm round criminis, seared then mixed with some chopped fresh kale, topped with a veal stock and wine butter sauce.
Alongside a richly flavored Bordeaux and served surrounding warm crackling logs in the fireplace faded the memory of facing the howling wind whipping round the painted façade beneath the Gay Street Bridge on the days visit to the Phoenixville Farmers Market, perhaps it was merely only a severe brisk after all.
Birchrun Hills Veal Flank Steaks stuffed with Oley Valley Mushrooms, Phoenixville Farmers Market
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter, approximately
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chopped kale, center stalks removed, finely chopped
- 4 cups Oley Valley fresh mushroom mix, criminis, shitake, oyster, royal trumpets, stems removed, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
- coarse kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
- 3 Birchrun Hills veal flank steaks, approximately half pound each
- For the Sauce:
- 1 1/4 cup veal stock, beef may be substituted
- 6 tablespoons red wine
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into bits, kept chilled
- Recommended Equipment:
- baking sheet
- kitchen string
- meat pounder
- large cast iron pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Preparing the Kale: Heat a large nonstick saute pan, add in a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter. Tilt in the fresh chopped kale stirring and moving kale pieces constantly about three to four minutes, until softened, transfer to a bowl, set aside
- Preparing the Mushrooms: Wipe out the pan used for cooking the kale, heat on high temperature then add in a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter, swirl to cover the bottom of the pan, tumble in the mixed fresh mushrooms, sear, letting mushrooms sit undisturbed around three minutes then stir and shake pan, sprinkle over a pinch of salt, continue to sear and cook for another two to three minutes, stir, check seasoning adding in a bit more salt to taste, then sprinkle in a pinch of pepper and the thyme. Stir half of the seared mushrooms into the bowl of sauteed kale, reserve the other half mushrooms in a separate bowl
- Preparing the Veal Flank Steaks: Using a meat pounder, pound veal to a little thicker than an eighth inch between two pieces plastic wrap. Transfer flanks to a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle both sides of each veal piece with salt and pepper
- Heap a few mounded tablespoonfuls or more of the kale mushroom mixture onto the end of each veal steak leaving a little room on each side to prevent filling from falling out when rolling. Roll each veal flank steak tightly then tie with kitchen string in the center, each end, then lengthwise. Heat a large cast iron pan on high heat for about two minutes. Reduce temperature to medium heat then pour in 3 tablespoons each olive oil and butter, use a potholder to swirl and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Set each stuffed veal flank steak into the pan and sear veal for four minutes. Roll the veal over to the other side and sear another four minutes, approximately, until side has reached a nice browned color. Once browned all around, place the pan with stuffed veal into the preheated oven, bake veal for 7-10 minutes, remove from oven, tent with aluminum foil and let stuffed flank rest in the cooking pan for ten minutes, transfer to a cutting board
- Preparing the Sauce: Pour veal stock into a small size saute pan cooking on high heat until reduced by about three-quarters the original amount, around four to five minutes. Pour in the red wine, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for another three to four minutes. A bit at a time begin whisking in the butter pieces until well incorporated to create a silky sauce. Drop in the reserved two cups mushrooms, stir, cooking for about one to two minutes until mushrooms are warmed through then turn off heat
- Cooking and Assembly: Evenly spoon some sauce around the center of each plate. Using a sharp knife, slice stuffed veal into one-inch slices, arranging a few slices on each plate. Top the remaining sauce with the mushrooms over the stuffed veal slices
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