pulled pork sandwich

i live in kansas city, and there is no shortage of good barbecue sauces here.  and man, do i love a good bbq sauce - especially grilled up on some veggies. since it's winter and too cold to grill, lately i've been enjoying it on pulled pork sammies.  there are a variety of ways to make vegan pulled pork - my personal favourite would have to be using young green jackfruit, as it has a nice shredded texture and absorbs the bbq flavour well. i get it at my local asian grocer. you can find a handful of pulled pork recipes using jackfruit online - it's not a new concept - but here is the recipe i've created and always use. 

• 1 can young green jackfruit
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon bragg liquid aminos
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/3 cup water
• 2/3 veggie broth
• 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup hickory bbq sauce
• 1½ tablespoon heinz 57 sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

drain the quartered jackfruit from the brine or water it's in (be sure to use young or green jackfruit).  rinse all the pieces thoroughly and squeeze each piece to remove as much water as possible. while draining and squeezing, shred each piece (it's very tender) before putting into a 2 quart saucepan.  after all the jackfruit pieces are in the pan, add in the water, garlic, onion and mustard powder, bragg's and ground pepper.  turn the heat on medium high and cook for approximately 12 minutes or until the water has completely evaporated.  since the water content is so low, be sure and stir often - almost sautéeing.  if it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan but hasn't started to darken up a bit, add in a couple tablespoons of water...  but be sure to cook that off again.

after the water is gone, the jackfruit should be a little darker in colour, almost like a very light brown or dirty white.  at this point, turn the heat to low and stir in the rest of the ingredients. cover and simmer on low heat for about an hour and a half, removing the lid half way through.  the sauce should reduce an thicken up considerably.  after it's done cooking,  let it sit for about another hour to really allow the jackfruit to marinate.  finally,  toss it back on low heat for about another 15-20 minutes and then serve.  with pickles.

vegan carne asada

i finally found young jackfruit at my local asian market! i had been hunting it down for a while now, as i have seen many recipes that use it for pulled pork sandwiches. it has a nice shredded texture, which i thought would lend itself well to some cruelty-free carne asada. the result was pretty good - not spot on, but a nice substitute. be sure and get the young jackfruit in brine - the ripe kind will be sweet and not a good match for this recipe.

• 1 20 oz. can young jackfruit
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon bragg's aminos
• 1 cup water

for the marinade:

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice (1-2 limes)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• small handful cilantro, shredded

mix the marinade ingredients together in shallow dish and set aside. in a non-stick skillet,
sauté the garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. when garlic starts to brown, add in the drained jackfruit and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes. add in the water and braggs, lower the heat, and let simmer for approximately 45 minutes (or until liquid has evaporated).

move the jackfruit to the marinade dish, and let sit for several hours. before serving, fire the skillet back up to high and sauté the jackfruit (no marinade). if it hasn't started to shred, use a fork to pull the jackfruit apart so it resembles carne asada. i added a pinch of turmeric and cumin at this point to give it a little color, but that's completely optional. continue cooking until the jackfruit starts to brown a little on the ends - the crunch is totally worth it.

i served over spanish rice with salsa, but next time i will try tacos!