Vegan BBQ Jackfruit Recipe
You get your jackfruit wey you don shred already? Good.
Pour your BBQ sauce inside the pan. Like three quarter cup. Abeg no measure exactly. Na estimate. If e small reach, add more later.
Then add one tablespoon apple cider vinegar. That one na must. No skip am.
Then liquid smoke. Half teaspoon. Biko. Half. I don do the one wey I pour one full teaspoon before. My whole kitchen smell like burnt bush for two days. My wife say “what did you burn?” I say nothing. She no believe me. So half teaspoon. That thing strong like baba.
Taste your BBQ sauce first. Some sweet already. Some not sweet. If your own no sweet, add one tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar. Stir.
Heat. Make e be medium-low. Not medium. Not low. That one wey you see small bubbles but no strong boiling. No put cover. Let am cook for ten to fifteen minutes. Stir every few minutes. No stir every second. Just stir sometimes so the bottom no burn.
How you know say e don ready?
Drag spoon through the middle. If you see the bottom of the pan for one second, and the sauce slowly come back cover am? You done. If e still watery and run back fast, cook more. If e dey stick and burn, you done too much – add small water and stir quick.
Now. This next part. Listen to me.
Spread that cooked jackfruit on baking tray. Put am under your broiler. High heat. Three to five minutes. No leave that place. Stand there. Watch am. The edges go turn dark and crispy. That one na the “I can’t believe this isn’t pork” texture. If you skip this step? E still sweet but e no reach that level. The broiler na the secret. Don’t skip am.
What can go wrong? Plenty things. I don do all of them.
Sour taste? Like weird sour wey no make sense? You no rinse the jackfruit brine well. Or your BBQ sauce too vinegary. Fix: sprinkle small pinch of baking soda inside the pan. E go fizz. That one na the acid dying. Then add one teaspoon sugar. Stir. Taste again. I swear it works.
Too dry? Your heat too high. All the liquid evaporate. Fix: pour quarter cup water or broth. Cover am. Simmer on low for five minutes. No stir too much. Just let am drink the water back.
Hard pieces after twenty minutes? That na the woody core from jackfruit. You miss some when you dey shred. Fix: use fork fish them out and throw away. Next time, as you dey shred, feel each piece with your hand. If e hard like your fingernail, throw am away before cooking.
Not smoky enough? Add another quarter teaspoon liquid smoke at the end. Stir. Taste. Go slow. You fit add more later. You no fit take am out. I learn that one the hard way.
How to serve?
The way I like am: toasted bun. Pile of that BBQ jachttps://foodwithfeeling.com/bbq-jackfruit/kfruit. Crunchy coleslaw on top. Pickles for side. That coleslaw dey cut the sweetness. No skip am. I see people skip am before and then complain say e too sweet. I tell them “you skip the coleslaw.” They look at me like I be witch.
But truth? I don put this thing on baked potatoes. Tacos. Rice bowls. Nachos. Even cold inside wrap the next day for work. For summer cookout, I just put am next to corn and potato salad. Nobody ask where the meat dey. They just dey eat.
Leftovers? That one na best part.
Put am inside any container. Last four days for fridge. The flavor actually better the next day. I no know why. The smoke settle. The sweetness calm down. E just work.
To reheat: pour am inside skillet with two tablespoons water or extra sauce. Cover am. Warm on medium-low for three minutes. Then stir and heat uncovered until e dey bubble. Do not microwave am straight. E go turn rubbery. Trust me. I do am once and almost throw everything inside dustbin.
You fit freeze am for two months. Thaw for fridge overnight. Then reheat for pan. Add small water if e dry.
My weird leftover move – and I know this one sound crazy – chop am fine and mix into scrambled tofu or even instant ramen. Breakfast BBQ scramble. My friend think I dey mad until e try am. Now e ask me for am every morning.
Last thing. Only one rule.
I don burn this thing. I don undercook am. I don add too much liquid smoke and open all windows. The only real rule be: no skip drying the jackfruit before cooking. Drain am. Rinse am. Squeeze am inside kitchen towel or between two paper plates. If you skip that one? You go get watery pulled pork. No broiler fit save you.
Everything else you fit fix. Too sweet? Add vinegar. Too tangy? Add sugar. Too dry? Add water. Too wet? Cook longer. You be the cook. You dey in charge.
