BBQ JACKFRUIT POLENTA STACK
On one of her visits to cook with me, I dragged Momma Paige to 3 – yes, three – stores to make this recipe. “We have to have polenta,” I kept telling her. I am sure she thought I was a little irrational in my quest for fancy yellow cornmeal. We finally found it and made this recipe. I think Momma Paige would agree; this BBQ Jackfruit Polenta Stack was well worth the hunt.
This is a semi-homemade recipe. So, be sure to have your vegan coleslaw and favorite BBQ sauce ready to go. We used a vinegar-based pepper coleslaw for this recipe, and Momma Paige doctored up my cheap, accidentally vegan BBQ sauce with a little brown sugar, ketchup, and spices. If you want more tips on doctoring up sauces, let us know on Instagram. DM us @PlantBasedSlay. If you rather buy a good BBQ sauce, there is a link to a good vegan BBQ sauce below.
WHAT IS JACKFruit?
Jackfruit is an exotic fruit native to South India. It is in the same plant family as figs. When ripe, it is a sweet treat similar in taste to a combination of fruits. However, in plant-based cooking, we use the young green jackfruit typically canned in brine as a meat replacement. Young green jackfruit is used as a meat alternative because its texture is similar to pulled chicken or pork. It also provides some nutritional benefits. One cup is estimated to have 3 grams of protein, plus it is rich in vitamin A and manganese.
Even with all of its benefits, I was a bit afraid to work with jackfruit. I’ve seen it in a multitude of plant-based recipes. It always looked so delectable. However, my first time trying it was anything but. It was mushy, and I could still taste the brine the jackfruit was soaking in. Instead of completely disregarding jackfruit, I leaned into the challenge of making a recipe I would enjoy.
Let’s get into the Recipe!
Let’s start with the base of this recipe - the polenta patty. If you are familiar with making hot water cornbread, this is a similar frying technique. I say similar because I wouldn’t say I like touching hot cornbread mix, so we will be letting it cool slightly before forming the patties. Trust me; your hands will thank you!
In a medium pot, bring two cups of water to a rolling boil. Whisk in polenta, garlic, vegetable broth base, pepper, and salt. Lower the heat and allow to cook for 30 minutes. Whisk often to keep the polenta from sticking to the bottom. Since the intention is to make patties, the mixture will be thicker than normal polenta or grits. After cooking, remove from heat and let cool while working on the BBQ jackfruit.
Next, prepare the jackfruit by draining the brine from the can and pulling the jackfruit pieces apart. Remove the seeds as you go. The jackfruit should resemble pulled pork or chicken once you are done. In a medium pot, add shredded jackfruit, water, beef broth base, ham broth base, garlic, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until water evaporates, stirring often. This helps reduce the taste of the brine and add in a “meaty” flavor. Once the water evaporates, add paprika, chili powder, mustard powder, liquid smoke, and olive oil to the jackfruit. Cook for another 5 minutes. Then add your favorite BBQ sauce to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
At this point, the polenta should be cool enough to handle. Take about a ¼ cup of the mixture and form a patty. Wetting your hands before forming the patty will help keep the polenta from sticking to your hands. Continue to do this with the rest of your mixture. Set patties aside. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. The oil should cover about ½ inch of the frying pan. You don’t need much to fry these. Once the oil is ready, add patties to the pan. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes. The sides should be golden brown. Then, place on a wire rack.
Now, it’s time to assemble. On top of the polenta patty, layer a good amount of BBQ jackfruit topped with your favorite vegan coleslaw. I also garnished with a pinch of roughly chopped parsley. This recipe makes about 8 stacks.
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BBQ Jackfruit Polenta Stack
Ingredients
- 2 ½ C. water
- 1 C. ground polenta
- 1 Tsp of vegetable broth base
- ½ Tsp of ground garlic
- ½ Tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ Tsp of salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 can young jackfruit, 20 oz - drained, deseeded, pulled apart.
- 1 C. water
- 1 Tsp beef broth base
- 1 Tsp ham broth base
- 1 Tsp ground garlic
- ½ Tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tsp paprika
- ½ Tsp chili powder
- ½ Tsp mustard powder
- ¼ Tsp liquid smoke
- 1 Tsp olive oil
- BBQ sauce to taste
- Coleslaw
- Parsley
Instructions
- Whisk in polenta, garlic, vegetable broth base, pepper, and salt.
- Lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes, whisking often.
- Remove from heat and let polenta sit until it is cool to touch.
- In a medium pot, add shredded jackfruit, water, beef broth base, ham broth base, garlic, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until water evaporates. Stirring often to ensure the jackfruit doesn’t burn.
- Once the water evaporates, add paprika, chili powder, mustard powder, liquid smoke, and olive oil to the jackfruit. Cook for another 5 minutes. Then add your favorite BBQ sauce to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil. There should be enough to cover ½ inch of the pan.
- The polenta should be cool enough to handle at this point. Take ¼ cup of polenta mix and form into a patty. Continue to do this with the rest of the mixture.
- Once the oil is ready, add patties to the pan. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes. The sides should be golden brown. Then, place on a wire rack.
- Once the patties are done frying, assemble the stack by layering BBQ jackfruit and your favorite coleslaw on each polenta patty.
