Vegan BBQ Pulled Jackfruit with Caramelized Onions
Try this Vegan BBQ Pulled Jackfruit with Caramelized Onions recipe.
Try this Vegan BBQ Pulled Jackfruit with Caramelized Onions recipe.
- Carbohydrate 3.2107175 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.68149375 g
- Fiber 0.597175015687943 g
- Protein 0.436645 g
- Saturated Fat 0.2410515 g
- Serving Size 1 1 cup (31g)
- Sodium 19.8966432291667 mg
- Sugar 2.61354248431206 g
- Trans Fat 0.0570440000000001 g
- Calories 28 calories
Step-by-step
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the oil.
- Once oil is shimmering, add in the onion noodles and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 7 minutes or until onions are mostly wilted and add in the garlic and paprika and stir to coat the onion in the spice.
- Then, add in the jack fruit, broth and season again with salt and pepper.
- Cover and let cook for 10 minutes or until jack fruit softens and can be pulled apart like pulled meat.
- At that point, mash with a potato masher or pull apart carefully with two forks.
- Once the jack fruit is pulled into shreds, pour over the barbecue sauce and stir to combine.
- Add the liquid smoke here if you want a smokier, meat-like flavor (if you're a meat eater.)
- If you don't eat meat, leave it out - I like the taste by itself!
- Let cook for another 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve the vegan pulled pork on a salad, in a sweet potato, on a bun, with rice, or however you’d like.
Operating under the constraint of a single heavy-bottomed skillet requires managing moisture evaporation carefully so that the fruit softens without scorching. Young green jackfruit packed in water possesses a remarkably neutral flavor profile and a fibrous cell structure that mimics animal muscle fibers when cooked. By simmering the drained fruit alongside vegetable broth for ten minutes, trapped water escapes the cellular matrix while the surrounding liquid hydrates the starches, yielding a tender canvas ready for shredding with two forks.
Maillard Reactions and Sugar Caramelization
Thinly slicing the red onion creates structural ribbons that render down quickly in extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. During the initial seven-minute sauté, natural sugars inside the alliums undergo thermal breakdown and caramelization, releasing sweet volatile compounds that balance the acidity of the barbecue sauce. Introducing minced garlic and paprika directly into the hot fat coats the onion surfaces, allowing fat-soluble capsaicinoids and aromatic oils to bloom before liquid enters the pan.
- If the pan dries out prematurely during the ten-minute simmer, supplement the moisture one tablespoon at a time to prevent burning the garlic.
- Substitute water for vegetable broth if sodium reduction is a priority, though the resulting reduction will require heavier seasoning with salt.
- Ensure the jackfruit pieces are thoroughly drained of their brine before cooking to avoid diluting the Maillard browning process on the onions.
