Vegan Pörk Medallions w/ Görgonzola Cream Sauce

- Tiffani

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Pressed king oyster mushrooms make the perfect vegan medallions — absolutely delicious smothered in my cashew-based, Görgonzola Crēam Sauce!

If you read the blog, you know I love to veganize old favorites. This dish was one of them. It was on the menu at the restaurant, Tallahan’s, which I talk about often. For me, it’s all about the sauce. A good sauce really makes a dish, and I’m so please that I nailed this non-dairy version of Kathleen’s (my old chef) gorgonzola cream sauce.

The mushrooms are pressed into medallions using cast iron skillets on medium-low heat.

I’ve made this dish a couple of times using faux meats and store-bought non-dairy blue cheese, which I turned into a sauce. While I enjoyed that, I try to use limited amounts of processed ingredients and hoped to make a healthier version of this amazing meal. Let me explain how this healthier version came to be.

When making my Korean BBQ Mushroom “Ribs”, I press the mushrooms to give them a meatier texture. One of the times I was making them, I got the idea to cut them into medallions and use the same technique. I hate to think of food as animal anymore, but the pressed mushrooms remind me of the texture of pork belly (sorry, I wasn’t always vegan *sad face* but I’ll NEVER go back!).

Once the mushrooms have reduced in thickness by half, they are coated in a “milk” mixture, a starch mixture, and are then browned in a non-stick skillet.

This was one of two dishes I hoped to create with the mushroom medallions and I was really excited to try it. Originally, I was going to use store-bought vegan blue cheese to make the sauce. I used to find one by Violife at a small, vegan market in San Diego, but they stopped carrying it a while back. Then one day I started finding a vegan blue cheese by the brand, Sheese, at a market closer to home (I live just north of San Diego). When I went to buy it, however, I couldn’t find that one anymore either! Perhaps non-dairy blue cheese just doesn’t sell well. Sad for me, but it did push me to create this vegan version and I am 100% pleased with the way it turned out!

When I put the mushrooms and the sauce together, it was like a dream come true! So much better than using the mock meat! Of course, also tremendously better than the original recipe because we love the animals, the planet, and our own health too much for that.

I’m so pleased I’ve recreated and improved this old favorite! I love to serve these with mashed potatoes (or cauliflower!) and steamed veggies (usually broccoli or asparagus, anything green!). This dish is now my newest favorite and I hope it becomes yours as well. Let me know what you think. Please leave a comment below, or take a pic of yours and tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis.

 

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Vegan Pörk Medallions w/ Görgonzola Crēam Sauce

King oyster mushrooms are magically turned into vegan “pork” medallions smothered with a delicious, non-dairy gorgonzola cream sauce made of soaked cashews. Excellent served alongside mashed potatoes (or cauliflower!) and steamed veggies.
Course Main Course
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Soaking/Marinating 4 hours
Servings 4 petite or 2 large
Author Tiffani

Equipment

  • 2 cast iron skillets
  • 1 large non-stick skillet (or stainless is fine)
  • blender, preferably high-speed

Ingredients

  • 4 large king oyster mushrooms
  • 2 cups chicken-flavored vegetable broth I use Imagine No-Chicken Broth, or bullion by Edward & Sons or Better Than Bullion
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 1/4 tsp pork seasoning If you can’t find any store-bought see link in notes for a simple recipe.
  • 1 tsp olive oil plus more for cooking
  • 1/2 cup unflavored/unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tsp cornstarch You can substitute 1/2 cup all purpose flour, if not gluten-free. Will still need 1 tsp cornstarch.
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup water or more as needed
  • fresh cracked black pepper to taste

For the Görgonzola Crēam Sauce…

  • 1 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 4 hours (soak overnight if using a standard blender instead of high-speed)
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 Tbsp white miso paste for soy-free substitute chickpea miso
  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  • Slice the tops off each mushroom, as well as, the pointy stub on the opposite end. Discard the stubs and save the mushroom tops for a future recipe. Now cut the remainder of each mushroom into 3 or 4 equal sized pieces, each about 1” in length (a little longer is fine). Add the cut mushrooms into a baking dish, or other container, of appropriate size to fit the mushrooms snuggly (or at least without too much excess space). I use a 9” x 9” baking dish.
  • Whisk together the broth and 1 teaspoon of the pork seasoning. Now pour the broth into the dish with the mushrooms. Flip each mushroom to well cover in the broth. Marinate for 1 hour. If the mushrooms aren’t completely covered by the broth, flip them over after 30 minutes.
  • While the mushrooms marinate, make the Görgonzola Crēam Sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to your blender. Start the blender on low and gradually increase speed until you’ve reached the highest setting. Blend on high, stopping to scrape the sides of the carafe as needed, until the sauce is completely smooth. This may take several minutes, especially if using a standard blender. Set sauce aside.
  • In a small dish, stir together 1 tablespoon of the pork seasoning with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. When the mushrooms are done marinating, remove them from the broth and rub them down completely with the seasoning-oil mixture.
  • Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, turn the heat to medium-low and add the mushrooms. Add a second cast iron skillet on top of the mushrooms, this will press them to help them flatten. Let the mushrooms cook/press for 30 – 35 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes. When finished pressing, the mushrooms should be about half of their original size.
  • Prepare a station with two medium-sized bowls. In the first bowl, whisk together the milk with 1 tsp cornstarch. In the second bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of cornstarch (or AP flour), 1/4 teaspoon pork seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  • Take the mushrooms, dunk them into the milk bowl, let excess milk drop off, then add them to the second bowl with the cornstarch mixture. Flip the mushrooms to coat completely with the cornstarch.
  • Heat a large skillet, drizzled with oil, to medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the coated mushrooms. Brown the mushrooms on each side (it should take about 2 minutes on each side), working in batches, if needed. Transfer the browned mushrooms to paper towels or a clean dish towel.
  • Turn off the burner, wipe the skillet completely clean, and then turn heat to low. Add 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and then slowly whisk in the Görgonzola Crēam Sauce. As the sauce heats it may thicken more. If needed, whisk in more water to thin. Once the sauce is hot, stir in a crank or two of freshly cracked pepper (to taste). Add the mushrooms and cover the skillet with a lid for 2 to 4 minutes, until the mushrooms are reheated.

Notes

You can use this recipe for a simple pork seasoning blend, but first understand this links to a non-vegan site. The simple spice blend is vegan (make sure to use organic brown sugar — I choose to go light on the sugar, as well), but you will see pictures of meat, if you make the choice to click through. 

6 thoughts on “Vegan Pörk Medallions w/ Görgonzola Cream Sauce”

  2. 5 stars
    I haven’t tried the medallions yet but the sauce is delicious! I’ve used the sauce on pasta and to make a vegan stuffed pumpkin.

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