February 3, 2016

Alabama-style Jackfruit BBQ

Name: Jackfruit BBQ
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1/2 Anaheim pepper; 1 Serrano pepper; 1/2 large, yellow onion; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 20 ounce cans of jackfruit in brine; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke; 1 cup vegetable broth; 1/2 cup red BBQ sauce; salt and pepper to taste

I highly recommend trying this Alabama-style jackfruit BBQ recipe, even if you are normally a meat-eater. Using jackfruit in lieu of pulled pork is nothing new in Asian cuisines, but we are bringing it down to the Deep South! We pair a braised jackfruit BBQ with traditional Alabama white sauce, and it is absolutely delicious!

This is a vegetarian spin on an old and classic BBQ sandwich. You can even make it vegan by leaving off the white sauce (or making vegan white sauce)!

Jackfruit is a stringy, Asian fruit that can be eaten sweetened or in a brine. It can be bought fresh at supermarkets during certain times of the year- however it is difficult to find and doesn’t quite match the texture of BBQ, when cooked from the fresh fruit.

For this Alabama-style jackfruit BBQ, you should try to look for canned jackfruit. Be very careful when you are looking for this product canned. Be sure that you find jackfruit in brine, NOT in syrup. This product should be available in most Asian groceries, but if not you can order it on Amazon. I order this brand and always find it easy to work with and high quality.

Make a mess and enjoy!

Jackfruit BBQ

Course Main Course

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 Anaheim pepper
1 Serrano pepper
1/2 large, yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 20 ounce cans of jackfruit in brine
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup red BBQ sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables.

Clean a mince the peppers.
Dice the onion.
Mince the garlic.
Combine the peppers, onion, and garlic in a large pot with the olive oil. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

Prepare the jackfruit.

Rinse in water to clean off brine.
Cut the core out and discard it. This is the thick, spongey looking part.
Set aside.

Assemble.

Turn heat up to a simmer and stir the onion mixture, adding in the cumin, paprika, and liquid smoke.
Stir in the vegetable broth and simmer for several minutes.
Add the BBQ sauce and jackfruit, and cook on low for 15-20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, and create your sandwich. A traditional Alabama BBQ sandwich will have pickle and white sauce.