Spicy Garlic BBQ Jackfruit Tacos
When I was still a carnivore the only pork I would eat is bacon. Honestly, I used to love bacon, bacon on everything was my jam. I occasionally liked pulled pork sandwiches, but I never really ordered pork meals when I would go out to eat. So when I found out that cooked jackfruit gives the same appearance and flavor has pulled pork, I had to give it a try.
The first time I tried Jackfruit I was at Seabird’s in Costa Mesa, one of my favorite vegan food places. I had their Bibimbap bowl, full of their marinated jackfruit, fermented cauliflower, and fried kimchi. (Another obsession of mine that I have to fulfil soon) After my taste buds were entranced by this new food, I instantly knew I had to make it for myself.
When you look up photos of this weird yellow-green fruit it looks like you would need a chainsaw just to cut it open. I thought that there was no way my knives at home could cut through that giant thing. Luckily, to save myself from chopping off my hand, I found canned jackfruit at Trader Joe’s. They just seem to have everything don’t they?
I actually tried this out almost a month ago. I wanted to see what combination I could come up with, and to see if what I was trying to do was even post worthy. If I'm buying honest, it was good, but not great. I knew that I could have done a lot better. I originally tried a thai peanut sauce, don’t get me wrong it was delicious, but I feel like it belonged on crispy tofu not jackfruit. The taste of jackfruit needs something smokey to counteract the original flavor of the fruit, if that makes sense. So I whipped up my own barbecue sauce (for my first time doing it, I am very proud of myself) and made it garlicky, spicy because I wouldn't be doing my Italian ancestors justice if I didn’t.
To add more crunch and texture to the tacos I roasted up some spicy ginger cashews and peanuts. Everytime I make a dish, I always have any Chopped judges voice in my head. Anyone else have an obsession for the show Chopped on Food Network? I could never let Chef Alex Guarnaschelli down, so I had to add a crunchy element to complete this delicious dish. These are also a great snack option, way better than buying pre-seasoned ones at the store.
I decided to keep these low-carb and gluten free by wrapping them up in some soft butter lettuce. If you’re in the mood for some carbs, try them in a tortilla or even on a hamburger bun for a pulled “pork” sandwich kind of feel. Pile the jackfruit and some veggies in between two slices of bread and you got yourself a pretty awesome sandwich.
Servings: 4-5 (2-3 tacos per person)
Vegan and Gluten Free
Category: Tacos
Prep time: 15 minutes Total Cooking time: about 60 minutes
Spicy Garlic Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients:
8 oz tomato sauce
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp sesame oil
¼ cup sriracha
3 tbsp liquid aminos
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp himalayan salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 ½ tbsp hickory liquid smoke
1 serrano pepper
4 garlic cloves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F
Peel garlic and place in small baking dish with serrano pepper and a little avocado oil
Roast garlic and pepper for about 10 minutes
Once done, remove stem from serrano and place into blender. Blend on high until nice and smooth. Salt and pepper tot taste
Roasted Spicy Ginger Cashews and Peanuts
Ingredients:
½ cup raw cashews
½ cup dry roasted peanuts
¼ cup sriracha
1 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp himalayan salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F
Coat nuts in sauce and lay flat in a baking dish
Roast for about 10-15 minutes. Check every once in awhile to see how they are doing
Other Ingredients:
2 cans Trader Joe’s Jackfruit
Purple Cabbage
Shredded Carrots
Cilantro
Butter Lettuce (aka living lettuce)
Everything But The Bagel seasoning
Jackfruit Preparation:
Drain and rinse two cans of jackfruit
Cut the core off each piece, and remove the “balls” from the inside
Place in seperate bowl and shred with two forks until almost all pulled apart
Place a little avocado oil in a pan, throw in jackfruit and cook for about 15 minutes without the sauce. Continue to shred jackfruit until it starts to look like pulled pork.
Assembly:
Pour barbecue sauce all over jackfruit. Let cook for about 10 minutes to let all the flavors meld together.
Wash butter lettuce, cut off the bottom and pull apart carefully for cups
Wash purple cabbage and remove top layer. Slice into small shreds
Take a lettuce cup, fill up with as much jackfruit as you want. Top with shredded carrots, cabbage, cilantro, and a little sprinkle of Everything But The Bagel seasoning.
I hope you enjoy!
Let me know what you think! :)