BBQ Pulled Jackfruit

Ingredients

3 20 oz cans of green jackfruit in brine or water, strained

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp smoked paprika

t tsp garlic powder

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

>1 cup bbq sauce, any kind (i used Hawaiian style because it has a little sweetness to it)

⅛ tsp liquid smoke**

*if you use jackfruit in brine, make sure you thoroughly rinse it before you use it

**be careful with this stuff, it’s incredibly strong

Directions

- Rinse and dry the jackfruit pieces. Each of them has a small “core” section that has a denser texture. Cut the core section off.

- Place the jackfruit in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the dry seasonings. Add to the bowl with the jackfruit and toss until coated.

- Heat a large pan with oil and add the jackfruit. Cook in the pan on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add bbq sauce and a little water, stir and cover.

- Cook on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, removing the top to stir every 5-10 minutes.

- Remove the cover and add more bbq sauce. Using a spatula, crush the jackfruit chucks until they resemble the texture of pulled pork and continue to stir.

- Serve on a toasted bun with coleslaw and enjoy!

Information and Discussion:

Okay, I know it seems impossible for a fruit to taste like meat. But seriously– the texture is perfect and the combination of bbq sauce and liquid smoke gives the jackfruit an amazing flavor. We taste-tested a bunch of different bbq sauces and ultimately decided on a Hawaiian style one for two reasons: 1, Hawaii was the first place I ever had this style of jackfruit and it reminded me of that flavor, and 2, Hawaiian bbq sauce is a little bit sweeter than your typical one, and it created a nice blend with the liquid smoke.

Some notes about liquid smoke: Be careful. While it is delicious and super beneficial to cooking, liquid smoke is really, really potent. If you put too much of it in something it could become nearly inedible (I know from experience). Regardless, I highly recommend using it for a more complex flavor profile.