You have to try this one. Really. When I was eating meat, pulled pork was one of my favorite dishes. I was excited to read about how fantastic jackfruit was for making it, but when I tried it at restaurants or bought the jackfruit pulled pork kits at Whole Foods…I HATED IT! The problem is, barbecue is very personal to people who love barbecue. Some people prefer it smokey, some prefer it tangy, some prefer it sweet. I think a lot of the packets have too much of a vinegar punch to them. Take my advice, doing it yourself is extremely easy and can be personalized to your liking with minimal effort. Before you turn your nose up to jackfruit, just try it this way one time.
The key to making a good pulled jackfruit is making it easy for yourself to pull it! I used to try to pull it right out of the can. It works…but takes a lot of work! Boiling it first softens it quickly and makes the pulling process painless.
What type should you get? It doesn’t matter much if you get it canned or in a box, just make sure you are buying UN-ripened jackfruit. Not the bright yellow fruity kind. Lots of health food stores, asian grocery stores, and even mainstream stores have it, but you can also buy it online. My favorite brand actually comes in a box by Edward & Sons. The box says “Organic Young Jackfruit Meatless Alternative Unseasoned Pieces.” This recipe is actually adapted from the recipe on the back of the box! Thanks Edward & Sons!
Jackfruit Pulled Pork
A summertime favorite, incredibly easy to make, meat eater approved.
Keep in mind, jackfruit is NOT high in protein, and therefore will NOT be as filling as actual pulled pork. Plan your sides accordingly!
My favorite way to make this is to top with vegan coleslaw and avocado. I also really love putting this directly on top of a baked sweet potato for a super filling meal with really powerful flavor. It pairs great with baked or grilled asparagus as well!
Ingredients
- 1 can or box of unripened jackfruit
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your favorite vegan BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or vinegar of choice)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: to make sweeter, 1-2 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
- optional: for added protein, I love to add 3 tbsp of hemp seeds! It adds a nice texture and pumps up the nutrition power of this meal!
Directions
- Take the jackfruit (drain first if canned kind) and put in a large sauce pan. Cover the jackfruit with water and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
- While the jackfruit is boiling, mince the garlic and onion.
- Check on the jackfruit. Take a fork and see if it can be shredded apart easily. If not easy to shred, wait another few minutes and try again. Drain the jackfruit and place on a separate plate or bowl and shred apart by using two forks.
- Return to saucepan to the stove, set to medium heat, and place oil in bottom of pan. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté until fragrant, then add the garlic and jackfruit back into the pan.
- Add barbecue sauce, vinegar, water, salt, and pepper. Turn down to low heat and simmer until the liquid reduces. After the liquid reduces take a taste. Add barbecue sauce, water, or sugar if needed.
- Enjoy!
This recipe is so great because you can constantly change the sauce to give it any kind of flavor you want! Think about Mexican seasonings for pulled pork tacos, asian seasonings for bao buns, or Caribbean seasonings for “Jamaican jerk pork.” The sky is the limit!
PS: I used my leftovers to make a great meal prep for the next two days. Pulled jackfruit + roasted asparagus + vegan coleslaw = PERFECT packable work lunch.
Let me know what you think! Drop a comment if you like it, have tried it, or have any suggestions for something I should try!
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