It has taken me forever to jump on the jackfruit bandwagon. I had it for the first time in LA when my step-mother ordered jackfruit “fish” tacos at Sage Oganic Vegan Bistro. Just a few weeks ago my husband had the jackfruit reuben at FüD. But, truthfully, it took a reader email to encourage me to try jackfruit myself. She asked if I had ever cooked with jackfruit (no) and would I mind trying it in the pressure cooker and let her know how it works?

Martie, this is for you!

Jackfruit is, well, a fruit. It’s flesh is very meaty and, when cooked, it shreds, so it’s become a darling among vegans who remember pulled pork sandwiches but now know that pigs are friends, not food. Vegan versions of “pulled pork” sandwiches with jackfruit abound on the interwebs.

I bought canned jackfruit, packed in water (NOT syrup), from an Asian market.

The jackfruit is pre-cut and not in a brine so I did nothing but rinse and drain the jackfruit before adding it to the pressure cooker.

I started to mix and match ingredients from a couple of my barbecue sauce recipes. Since the idea behind this recipe is to emulate “pulled pork” I used whole mustard seeds, instead of ground mustard, because it is commonly used to season cooked meat. The combination of the whole mustard seeds and cayenne pepper make this a very spicy dish.



BBQ Pulled Jackfruit

From Vegan Pressure Cooking by JL Fields

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup (40 g) finely diced onion

1 tablespoon (8 g) minced garlic

1 can (17 ounces, or 476 g) jackfruit, packed in water, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 tablespoons (48 g) tomato paste

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple, date, or brown rice syrup

1/2 to 3/4 cup (120 to 180 ml) water

Instructions Pressure Cooker Instructions In an uncovered pressure cooker heat the oil on medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the jackfruit, seasonings, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire, and syrup and stir to combine. Add enough of the water to cover the jackfruit and mix well. Cover and bring to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. Allow for a natural release. Remove the lid and stir the jackfruit and sauce well. Use a fork to pull the jackfruit into shreds. This should be very easy to do. Serve on the toasted bread or buns. Suggested Slow Cooker Instructions (with my thanks to Ambur) Mix all ingredients, except oil and jackfruit, in a bowl. Add oil to the slow cooker, the add the jackfruit. Pour the BBQ sauce over the jack fruit, coating it well. Cover and slow cook on low for 3 – 4 hours. NOTE: I have not tested these suggested slow cooker instructions – you may need to keep an eye on it to ensure there is enough liquid.