Food 
One of the things I love about jackfruit is that it is a fantastic meat substitute. With the right preparation, it can easily mimic pulled pork or pulled chicken. Jerk seasoning, on the other hand, improves just about everything it touches. Combine the two, and you have a vibrant, versatile dish that is sure to please omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans alike–especially if they have a bit of an asbestos tongue. While you can buy a premade jerk marinade, I am going to have you make the seasoning from scratch. Trust me, you’ll thank me when you taste it.
VEGAN JERK JACKFRUIT
Equipment
- Cutting
board - Knife
- Mixing
bowl - Large skillet or
frying pan - Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cans of young green jackfruit in water or brine, not syrup, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1-2 Scotch bonnet peppers or habanero peppers, finely chopped (adjust according to your spice preference)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari gluten-free option
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the jackfruit, and then cut off any tough core pieces.
- Shred the jackfruit using your hands or a fork to achieve a chicken-like texture. Set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped red onion, minced garlic, chopped Scotch bonnet (or habanero) peppers, fresh thyme leaves, vegetable oil, soy sauce (or tamari), brown sugar (or maple syrup), ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground black pepper, salt, and lime juice.
- Mix everything thoroughly to form a marinade.
- Add the shredded jackfruit to the marinade and toss until the jackfruit is well coated. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (for better flavor, marinate it for several hours or overnight).
- Heat the vegetable broth in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat.
- Once the broth starts simmering, add the marinated jackfruit to the pan. Stir occasionally.
- Let it cook for about 30-35 minutes until the jackfruit becomes tender and the flavors are well absorbed. If the mixture becomes too dry, you can add a little more vegetable broth or water.
- Once the jackfruit has reached the desired texture, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or spices if needed.
- You can serve the vegan jerk jackfruit as it is or use it as a filling for sandwiches, tacos, or wraps.
For your kitchen tools, check Sur La Table.
If you enjoyed this recipe or have suggestions on how we can improve it, please leave us a comment below. Also, make sure to check out other dishes I’ve created or stories I’ve written about food culture – here.
