Don’t be a Jackass eat some Jackfruit!
Ok, guys, the time has finally come, I’m trying to make jackfruit….and it was shockingly easy.
So I’ve heard a lot about jackfruit, it’s supposedly this amazing fake pork when it comes to faux meats, especially those made at home I am always a bit wary. I’ve had some great fake meats but 90% of those life change faux meats are restaurant prepared.
Embarking on this endeavor I did a lot of reading about jackfruit, about how to best remove the seeds, what color it should be. Apparently, jackfruit that’s too ripe has a sweet flavor and jackfruit that’s too young has a tart flavor so you want something right in the middle so that it best takes on the flavors you are cooking it with. After much reading, I did my due diligence and purchased a can of jackfruit in brine from Trader Joes. I know I know it seems a little bit like cheating, but let's be real I’m working full time and anything that cuts down prep work between me and my food is a good thing. It’s was only $3 and it came in brine which can help the fruit retain moisture while cooking so I don’t dry it out.
I opened and drained the can and set it aside for later.
Starting with a large skillet I added in about 1 TBsp of olive oil, followed by a clove of crushed garlic and 1 cube of caramelized onions.
Cube you say?! Yes, I also stash frozen onion and garlic from the brand Dorot. It’s a complete life saver on time, smelly hands, teary eyes and money because it prevents waste since it lasts for ages.
I let the onion, garlic, and oil simmer together until fragrant and much of the oil was gone. (Be careful of oil popping up and burning you, that shit’s hot, skillet lid recommended)
I then added in the jackfruit and topped it with a BBQ seasoning mixture (See my persona seasoning mix at the end or simply use whatever seasoning mix you like), I gave the jackfruit about 60 seconds on one side and then flipped it for another 60 seconds on the other side just to let the seasoning sink into it a bit.
Followed this up with ½ cup of vegetable broth, covered the skillet and let simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetable broth has been fully absorbed by the jackfruit. It was about this time I began to preheat my oven to 400℉
Now I turned off the heat and used two forks to shred the jackfruit to give it more of that pulled pork look it’s so famous for. I took out a small baking dish lined it with parchment paper and dumped the pulled jackfruit in. I set it into my 400℉ heated oven and set a timer for 20 minutes.
Then I waited, slowly growing hangrier by the second. Once the 20 minutes was up I pulled the baked jackfruit out, coated in BBQ sauce and placed it back in the oven for another 20 minutes. (Pre-oven picture on the left and post-oven with sauce on the right). By this point, I was so hungry and it also dawned on me that I had forgotten rolls in which ti put my faux pulled pork on. But I was far too hungry to run back to the grocery store. After all that waiting and stomach gurgling it was finally ready. I paired it with a side of corn and that was dinner.
Besides the hour-long cooking time, this recipe is pretty darn easy and relatively cheap.
The jackfruit itself is the only item that you have to purchase on its own, all the seasonings, plus the garlic and onions are purchases that can be used for lots of meals and will last a long time so they don’t get waisted. Plus this one can make enough for 2-3 people.
Noe the real question is does it taste like pulled pork and the answer is definitely no. The texture isn’t quite there, I had my partner try it out too (He’s an omnivore) and he agreed that it looked but did not taste like pulled pork. However this did not leave me disappointed, the flavor was really good just as is and it felt filling. I did get some Hawaiian bread rolls later and at the remaining jackfruit on bread for both lunch and dinner the next day. This is a definite recommend for anyone herbivore or omnivore.
BBQ Seasoning: This recipe is for a small stock of BBQ rub to use on whatever your heart desires.
