Pull the wool over your meat-eating friends’ eyes by serving them these “Pulled Pork” Jackfruit sandwiches. They’ll be glad that you did because this delicious meal is nutritious, has a fraction of the calories, and no fat.
Jackfruit is very common in Asia, but in the States it largely goes unused. The fruit has a meaty texture and is full of vitamins and minerals, making it not just a delicious meat substitute but a healthy one as well.
This is a crockpot recipe, and that means that you can put all the ingredients in the pot in the morning before work and come home to an awesome hot meal. When jackfruit is fully prepared as I’ve outlined here, you’ll be amazed how closely it tastes and resembles pulled pork.
As it is not a commonly found ingredient here, your best bet for jackfruit is to go to your local Asian grocery. They will have a large selection of jackfruit both fresh and canned. Fresh jackfruit requires a good deal of preparation, between cracking it open and de-seeding it. Jackfruit seeds can also be toxic if eaten raw. Considering all of that, I suggest canned fruit, which is packed in sweet syrup that you will want to discard. It’s much easier to work with and takes far less prep time.
Pigless Pulled “Pork” Sandwiches
Makes 5-6 sandwiches
Ingredients
1 20-ounce can of jackfruit
Spanish onions, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
½-¾ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
½ cup water (optional)
Salt to taste
Directions
Open your can of jackfruit and drain all the syrup in a colander. You’ll want to rinse the fruit off and then squeeze excess water out after washing it.
Now place 2 tbsp. of oil in a medium-hot large frying pan. Add diced onions and stir for about 20 minutes until golden brown. You want caramelized onions, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. The crockpot will soften up the onions a little, too. Add salt to taste. Dump caramelized onions into the crockpot, along with the uncooked diced peppers. Add the entire jackfruit and your favorite BBQ sauce to the pot. If the sauce is too thick, add a 1/2 cup of water. Stir everything well so all your ingredients are well-coated in BBQ sauce. Place the top on your crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
The longer it’s in the crockpot, the better it’ll taste.
When you are ready to serve your sandwiches, open the pot and stir the ingredients well with a fork. Like magic, the jackfruit will fall apart into meat-like pieces that really do resemble pulled pork. The sauce should be thick; if not, place it in a saucepan and cook out liquid.
The “pulled pork” sandwich is best served on a toasted kaiser bun and goes great with a kale slaw or light salad. Alternately, it can be a hearty meal when accompanied by mashed potatoes or corn on the cob. Either way you choose, you and your family will be happy that you made this healthy meat-free meal.