Jackfruit Part I
This week, I am going to share with you my two favorite jackfruit recipes. This is an excellent low protein food and meat substitute. I urge you to integrate this food into your diet in an effort to become comfortable cooking with it. Occasionally, I utilize fresh jackfruit that is available at my local grocery store. However, for cooking canned jackfruit prevails as best. It tends to provide the most amount of "meat" and is easier to prep. Ripe jackfruit is delicious but takes on a sweet, tropical flavor. Not ideal for savory dishes.
My favorite canned jackfruit is Trader Joe’s because it is softer and easier to pull apart prior to cooking. Unfortunately, I did notice that it seems to have more seeds in it so I attempt to remove them when I am "pulling" or shredding the jackfruit. As we all know, the seeds in any plant will have the highest amount of phenylalanine. No matter what brand you buy, make sure it is “green jackfruit”. Green means it is not as ripe and therefore will not be as sweet.
Today, we are talking about Korean BBQ jackfruit tacos.
It is a nice twist on the traditional BBQ sauce. The jackfruit is saucy and juicy with contrasting flavor to what you generally expect in tacos. Serve in your favorite low pro soft tacos or even hard shells if you can tolerate a little more phe. These are topped with a mustard and mayo slaw to add extra zest.
The instant pot has proven quite effective for preparing jackfruit. It cooks down perfectly in only four minutes times (once it reaches pressure) yielding soft and well-marinated jackfruit. If you do not have an instant pot you can cook jackfruit easily on the stove but it does take more time to achieve the correct texture. Add all ingredients to a large pan and let it cook down until jackfruit is soft.
Note: I subbed soy sauce for coconut aminos as it is practically free compared to soy sauce, which has 43 mg of phe in a single tablespoon. I have basically eliminated soy sauce from my diet with the help of coconut aminos. This was not easy but such a good way to save a few phe. When attempting to stick to the precon diet every small change can make a huge difference.
Hoisin Sauce is also a touch high as it is primarily sugar and soybeans. I would suggest subbing the ½ cup of hoisin with a combination of ¼ cup of hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons siracha (I suggest Trader Joe’s), and 2 tablespoons traditional BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s).
I was able to use the same marinade for the high protein option and Nick loved it! This makes for easier meal prep when serving the whole family. I cooked my jackfruit in the instant pot earlier in the day and then set it aside to keep absorbing flavor. The slaw is also delicious when made ahead. This would be a very fun meal to serve at a dinner party. People love to assemble their own tacos and you can just put out the toppings. The low protein option is so easy to modify with jackfruit.
Tag me in your jackfruit posts so I can see your favorite way to enjoy this fantastic vegan and low protein item!
Low Pro Recipe:
2 cans green jackfruit, pulled apart
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
4 large or 8 taco-sized low protein tortillas
Sauce:
½ cup hoisin sauce (or sub with combo above)
3 tablespoons French’s Sweet Yellow Mustard
2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Slaw:
3-4 cups cole slaw (without dressing)
3 tablespoons French’s Sweet Yellow Mustard
⅓ cup mayo
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt and pepper
Pull apart the jackfruit. Add oil and sautee onion in the instant pot or in a large fry pan. You may save a few onions to garnish the tacos if you like fresh chopped onion in your tacos. Add jackfruit to pan and sauce. Cover and cook until soft. Instant pot: turn on to manual and set to four minutes.
Mix the slaw the morning of or even day before. It only gets better as the cabbage marinates in the flavor!
Once done, assemble tacos with premade slaw, cilantro, and all of your favorite toppings. I like the tacos overflowing with all the toppings!
High protein option:
https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/slow-cooker-korean-bbq-pork-tacos