Green (young) jackfruit has become a popular ingredient for making pulled pork in vegan cooking. Most times, the seasonings and sauce lean toward familiar American barbecue flavor profiles. I saw an opening for an Asian take on vegan pulled pork so I came up with this char siu jackfruit. Why not combine foodways? Asian-style barbecue is savory sweet and jackfruit is a tropical Asian fruit. It seemed like a natural match and something fun.
For my Chinese-style barbecue jackfruit, I imbue chunks of immature jackfruit with the savory-sweet seasonings of Cantonese char siu pork. For heat and depth of flavor, I add chile sauce and shallot. The result is salty-sweet-spicy and fantastic for grain bowls, fried rice, banh mi, and steamed or baked bao. You could put this vegan char siu jackfruit in a taco, if you like!
In this post, expect the recipe plus pointers on how to select canned jackfruit to match your taste. There are timing tips for advance prep and substitute sfor hoisin sauce, in case you don't have any or want a gluten-free vegan char siu pulled pork.
What is young jackfruit and how do you buy it for vegan char siu?
Canned young jackfruit is immature and has mild flavor. In Asia, people use the unripe fruit's flesh for savory dishes because it is texturally meat like. Abroad, it's much easier to open a can! Also, you don't need much to make a batch of this vegan char siu pulled jackfruit.
Where to buy canned jackfruit and how to buy it? What you select depends on where you shop and your taste. For tender-firm texture, choose an Asian brand of young jackfruit in brine, such as Aroy-D, Chaokoh, or Butterfly. You'll easily find them at Pan-Asian markets, as well as Chinese and Southeast Asian grocers. Buy online if you're into purchasing a bulk amount of canned young jackfruit and want to save money.
Non-Asian brands, like Native Forest and Sprouts, produce a softer, fall-apart texture. They're processed for Western-style vegan dishes that mimic meat, like this pulled pork or tuna fish. Because this is a dead simple recipe, use what you can get at your market but know you can tinker with the pulled pork's texture! (Note: Trader Joe's used to sell young jackfruit but I was like the only person who bought it, it seemed. The product is discontinued.)
Hoisin substitutes and workarounds
Commercial hoisin is widely sold and my favorite brands are Koon Chun and Lee Kum Kee. Better yet is my homemade hoisin sauce, which you prepare from miso.
For a hoisin substitute, mix together 3 tablespoon dark miso (such as red miso), 1 tablespoon agave syrup or mild honey, ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 pinch Chinese five-spice powder. Measure it out for the recipe below.
Char siu jackfruit serving suggestions
This vegan char siu pulled jackfruit is great for meal prep because you can take it many directions. Make it on Sunday and refrigerate for up to 5 days to use for various dishes. Warm it in a skillet with a splash of water to soften and refresh before serving. Or, plop it onto your grain bowl and microwave to warm things up.
When making a char siu pulled jackfruit banh mi, simply let the jackfruit come to room temperature. If it's not soft enough or you want to open up the flavors, warm it gently in a skillet or briefly in the microwave. Use my banh mi blueprint to build your perfect Vietnamese sandwich.
Make this vegan pulled jackfruit and let me know your thoughts. You can dial in the sweetness as you like, too!
Char Siu Jackfruit | Mít Non Xé Vị Xá Xíu
Ingredients
- 2 (20-oz | 565g) cans young jackfruit, drained
- ¼ cup | 60ml hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari (tamari is good for rich color)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 to 3 teaspoon Viet Chile Sauce or sriracha (use the maximum amount for edgy heat)
- 1 ½ to 2 tablespoon brown sugar, light or dark, agave syrup, or mild honey
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1//8 teaspoon recently ground white or black pepper
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
- ¼ cup chopped shallots or yellow onion
- 1 cup | 240ml water
- Fine sea salt
Instructions
- Prep and flavor the jackfruit: Halve each wedge of jackfruit into two skinnier wedges. Then, by the handful, give them a squeeze to expel excess moisture and gently crush the pieces (don't mind the garlic clove-like seeds that appear). Set aside
- In a large bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile sauce, 1 ½ tablespoon of the brown sugar, five-spice powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Taste and, if needed, add up to the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon sugar for a sweeter flavor.
- Cook and pull the jackfruit: Set a large (12 inch | 30cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the neutral oil. When the oil barely ripples, add the shallots and fry gently, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft and fragrant, with many browned bits. Add the jackfruit and scrape in all the seasonings. Let fry gently for 1 to 2 minutes to develop flavor (it will slightly darken), and then pour in the water.
- Turn the heat to high, bring to a strong simmer, and then lower the heat to maintain the steady bubbling action. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and, if needed, pressing on big pieces to break them up.
- When the jackfruit is done, it will be moist and the liquid mostly gone. Turn off the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Use two forks to pull and mash the fringe-like pieces apart; leave meaty chunks for texture and stir to distribute. Let rest for 10 minutes for the flavors to settle and develop. Taste and add salt, if needed, before serving.
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