BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich
AKA: Pulled Vork!
We made a promise in our restaurant's farewell address that we would be sharing our recipes. So here we go! Our top selling entree is easier than you think, and easier than a lot of those other guy's recipes!
First of all, you want to find young jackfruit in brine or water (canned). If you are lucky enough to find the fresh stuff then it is going to be ripe and therefore have a different flavor. So feel free to snag it for smoothies and such but for this recipe we need it young. I get mine at a local market called Nam Dae Mun, but you can also get it on Amazon here.
Since the jackfruit comes packed in water you will need to squeeze as much moisture out as possible. I have found that the easiest way to do this, especially in large quantities, is with a nut milk bag. Of course, if you are just squeezing a few cans for a family meal you can always use your hands! I have tried other methods, like cheese cloth, and they just don't get the results or it makes a huge mess. Toss all the fruit in the bag, twist it closed, and press and squeeze! You don't have to worry about crushing the fruit since you will want that shredded meat look anyway, so really take out some aggression!
Once you have gotten all the moisture out, you will want to toss the jackfruit in your BBQ rub mixture and tear up any other pieces of fruit that didn't already get "pulled" in the squeezing process.
Now all that is left to do is toss it in a pan with a little oil until you add some color and texture, add a little of your fave BBQ sauce and heat through, and serve! We put ours on a toasted GF bun with a drizzle of extra sauce, topped with slaw! Or make a BBQ Mac and throw some on top of mac 'n' cheese!
Jackfruit is so versatile, just like tofu. So squeeze a few more cans and try it with your favorite taco seasoning for example!
Everything you need is in the recipe below (except homemade BBQ sauce--I am not that ambitious!), but if you have a BBQ rub you love then use it! That just makes this easy recipe even easier!
PREP TIME 15m | COOK TIME 10m | TOTAL TIME 25m
Servings: 4-6
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
BBQ Seasoning 2 Tablespoons Paprika 3 Parts* Chili Powder 1 Parts Garlic powder 1 Parts Onion Powder 2 Parts
Young Jackfruit (canned) 2 Cans, squeezed and pulled
Oil 2-3 Tablespoons
BBQ Sauce 1 cup, plus some for topping
Buns* 4-6
Cole Slaw
Cabbage 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded*
Carrot 2 large carrots, finely shredded
Mayo (vegan) 1 cup
Vinegar 2 Tablespoons
Mustard, dry 1 Tablespoon
Celery Salt 2 teaspoons
Sweetener 2 teaspoons (optional)
Instructions
Mix all BBQ Seasoning ingredients in a resealable container. For this recipe you will only need about 2 Tablespoons, but it is great to have on hand so make as much as you like!
Squeeze as much of the water out of the jackfruit as you can. Don't worry about crushing it since you will be shredding it anyway. I use a nut milk bag, but using your hands works too. Use your fingers or forks to pull the remaining bits of jackfruit apart until it completely "shredded." Toss in a bowl with the dry BBQ rub so that all the pieces are coated evenly.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute the seasoned jackfruit in the oil until you have added some color. This will take a few minutes depending on how well you squeezed the water out of the fruit.
While the jackfruit is cooking prepare the cole slaw by mixing he dressing in a small bowl. Pour over the shredded cabbage and carrot mixture until well coated.
Once you have the desired amount of color on your jackfruit (more color adds a more chewy texture), add the BBQ sauce. Stir to coat all the fruit and to heat the sauce through. This will only take 2-3 minutes so be sure that you don't burn your sauce!
Lightly toast your buns and layer the BBQ jackfruit on the bottom bun with an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce and top it with cole slaw and the top bun! Enjoy!
Notes
*If you want just enough for this recipe, the unit of measure would be teaspoons for the rub.
*I skip all the shredding and just grab a bag of cole slaw mix from the produce department where all the bagged salads are kept.
*We use Pure Knead GF buns. You can find these in the freezer section at most Krogers.
