In this edition of my favorite weekly ritual, Pantry Meal of the Week, I dug pretty deep into the depths of my fridge and pantry. I had some leftover cabbage and radish slices from the Classic Pozole Rojo we devoured the other night, so I immediately thought of coleslaw. Because that’s a totally normal train of thought. I found a few remaining cans of jackfruit in the pantry from back when I was stocking up to make BBQ “Chicken” Jackfruit Pizza the other week, and decided to take them out for a swing.
The best part about this simple meal? My brother didn’t even know it was vegan. It basically blew his mind, which of course I am very okay with.
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
- 2 20 oz cans young jackfruit (in brine or water)
- 3 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup bbq sauce
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- yummy cole slaw
- crunchy pickles
- Hawaiian rolls or sliced bread
Kitchen Tools: sauté pan, potato masher, baking sheet
Prep Work:
Preheat your oven to 425*F. Remove jackfruit from the brine and discard the liquid. Chop jackfruit into smaller slices by slicing out from the core. Basically you’ll be maker thinner triangles. Thinly slice shallots and finely mince garlic.
Cooking:
Heat your olive oil in the sauté pan on medium heat. Once oil is hot, toss in the shallots and sauté for about 5 minutes until they begin to get translucent. Add the sliced jackfruit and garlic and stir around for a minute or so. Stir in the cumin and cayenne. Pour in liquid smoke and vegetable stock. Cook on medium heat, stirring every so often for about 10 minutes until all liquid has evaporated.
Mash the jackfruit with a potato masher (or the bottom of a wine bottle if you’re in a pinch). You’re essentially crushing it into a stringy mess that resembles pulled pork. Toss in the bbq sauce and stir to combine. Spread your jackfruit out on the baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes until the top begins to look dry and maybe even a little crispy.
Assembly:
This is the fun part because it can be accordingly to whatever mood your stomach is in at the moment. I like to spoon a large portion of the bbq jackfruit onto my bread, top it with cole slaw and pickles, and go to town. Bon Appétit!
