Pulled Jackfruit (Vegan)

Pulled Jackfruit stacked on corn tortillas, with vegan yogurt;
purple cabbage slaw; cherry tomatoes; avocados
served along side sweet corn and grapes.

Recipe from LazyCatKitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 8-10 servings

This dinner made the husband VERY happy.  I loved it too.  It is not something to serve on a first date unless you plan to hose each other down afterwards.  Anyway, this tastes fabulous. It is so interesting to me that when prepared like this, jackfruit tastes amazingly like a pulled pork.  But no little piggy was harmed in the making of this dish. 

The thing is, this jackfruit recipe can be and should be prepared the day before you plan to serve to get optimal flavor.  The recipe below is for the jackfruit portion with suggestions about what to serve it with.  Be sure to purchase jackfruit in brine and not syrup.  I buy cans of jackfruit in brine at Trader Joe's.  

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 pinch ground cinnamon

2-3 pinches ground cloves

1 teaspoon sambal oelek (This is Indonesian chili paste that we think tastes amazing.  It can be found in the Asian section of a supermarket.  It comes in a jar.  It keeps for a long time in the fridge once open. You can substitute chili powder, if need be.)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 (20 ounce) cans jackfruit in brine

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For the best flavor, prepare this a day in advance.  Drain and rinse the jackfruit.  (The jackfruit pieces will be triangular in shape.  The pointy part of the triangle is part of the core, perfectly edible.  You can mince this if you wish, but I don't bother.  I just pull the triangles apart into shreds.  The jackfruit will become quite tender like pulled pork once it's cooked. There are also little round seed-like pieces as well.  We eat them too.)  Shred the jackfruit pieces after rinsing in water.  Set aside.  

Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy bottomed pan.  Saute the onion until softened and lightly caramelized.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon, cloves to the onion mixture.  Saute for a minute or so.  Mix in the tomato and chili paste.  Now add the prepared jackfruit along with the soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and apple cider vinegar.  Stir well.  Season with the pepper.  Simmer the mixture gently for another 10-15 minutes.  (If it gets too dry, you can add a couple of tablespoons of water.)  Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.  Place the jackfruit mixture in the fridge overnight.

Just before you are ready to assemble the tacos/sandwiches, preheat the oven to 390F.  Spread the jackfruit mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a little browned.  

Serving suggestions:  Corn tortillas or whole-wheat flour tortillas or whole-grain hamburger buns; vegan or dairy yogurt or sour cream; purple cabbage slaw* (directions below); tomatoes; avocado chunks; Quick Pickled Red Onions; salsa; lettuces; lime wedges; cilantro; Homemade Guacamole

*Purple Cabbage Slaw:  Shred some purple cabbage into a large bowl.  Squeeze the juice of one lime over the cabbage.  Sprinkle with salt, to taste.  Massage the cabbage for about 1 minute.  It will become more limp and tender.  Add some minced cilantro, if you wish.  Set this aside or chill in the fridge until ready to serve on the tacos.