Serves: 8

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

I’ve made BBQ pulled jackfruit before and it’s a great veggie and vegan alternative to pork. This recipe makes a lovely sweet BBQ sauce which cuts through the strong smokiness of the jackfruit. A little organisation at the start of the cooking process and it all comes together nicely within an hour. A good sharp flavoured slaw compliments the jackfruit and balances the taste while delivering a satisfying crunch.

You will need:

For the jackfruit rub:

2 tins of jackfruit in water drained

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp chipotle flakes

A pinch of salt

Woodchips for smoking

For the BBQ sauce:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

350g onion or 1 very large onion sliced

5 cloves garlic sliced

1/8 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp chipotle paste

4 tbsp dark brown sugar

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes or pasata

For the slaw:

1/2 red cabbage shredded

2 medium carrots grated

1 medium white onion thinly sliced

A handful of sweetcorn

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp grainy mustard

1 tbsp cajun seasoning

1 tbsp oil

125g mayo

A handful of fresh parsley (coriander works well too)

To serve:

Brioche or pretzel rolls

Making it:

Mix the rub ingredients together and sprinkle over the jackfruit then cover place in a colander and cover with foil.

Put a small metal dish or simply some folded foil, filled with woodchips inside a very large pan. The woodchips I am currently using are a mix of hickory and apple wood.

I recommend getting your kitchen extractor fan on at this point.

Put the lid on the pan and set over a medium heat until you can smell smoke. Remove the lid and place the colander inside the pan and cover again with foil to make a good seal and keep the delicious smoke in. Leave this to smoke for at least 10 minutes. 30 minutes gives a lovely but intense smokiness.

While the jackfruit smokes, it’s time to make the sauce.

In a large saucepan fry the onions in the oil until translucent then add the garlic and fry over a medium heat until the onions are starting to dry out.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the jackfruit and stir until combined. Simmer and reduce for 10 minutes.

Finally add the smoked jackfruit and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Stir frequently to help breakup the jackfruit. Season to taste.

At this point you can chill the jackfruit down for another day. If reheating spread it out in a roasting tray and give it 12-15 minutes in a hot oven (or on the BBQ). Some of the shreds of jackfruit may caramelise but this only adds to the flavour.

To make the slaw simply mix the Cajun seasoning and the oil and microwave for about 20 seconds, then stir into the mayo. Mix with the shredded veggies, vinegar, mustard and herbs. Season to taste.

Serve on a toasted brioche or pretzel roll topped with slaw. Sweet potato wedges make a great side for this.

Variations:

Play around with the woodchips and length of smoking time. As much as this is a veggie dish the BBQ jackfruit would go really well on top of a beef burger or to tart up a hotdog.