vegan jackfruit frank 'n beans

Every time I see a new fruit or vegetable at the supermarket, I have to try it, especially a big a** fruit like jackfruit. So what is jackfruit? It's the vegan version of pulled pork, except it's a vegetable that, when ripened, turns into a fruit with the consistency of jello and the taste of pineapple and banana. When I say big a** fruit, I literally mean it- the half jackfruit I bought was 5 pounds- and the world's biggest jackfruit was 80 pounds! 

The jackfruit doesn't just provide fruit/vegan meat, it also provides dozens of the largest seeds you'll ever encounter that, when boiled or roasted, are edible and taste like bland chestnuts(the seeds are literally the size of chestnuts)! 

When I bought the jackfruit, I wanted to use it in a video but all the ideas I thought were long 2-day recipes. 

I considered roasting the seeds and turning it into a risotto(with the seeds being the "rice"), only problem was the seeds are way too big to ever make the dish look like risotto. Another idea I considered was roasting the seeds and grinding them into flour for some sort of waffle. Both ideas require soaking the seeds overnight. :(

Then I read on this website about some people cooking jackfruit seeds like baked beans and when I think of baked beans, I think of frank 'n beans(which is basically frankfurters and baked beans). Frankfurters are usually pork-based and jackfruit meat is a vegan pork substitute, so that's how the idea of vegan frank 'n beans was born! But vegan frank 'n beans uses bacon, which is not vegan. However, I did buy some precut coconut chunks and I treated the chunks like bacon(I didn't make coconut bacon though, I just threw the chunks in with the jackfruit meat and seeds). 

Jackfruit meat, even if it is ripe, has the consistency of pulled pork when cooked. 

Many people have their own secret BBQ recipe where they use an unusual ingredient to make their dish stand out, and the not-so-secret ingredient I used in the sauce for this dish was chocolate infused-balsamic vinegar, yet I didn't taste any chocolate in the end product. Of course, you could use any type of vinegar you like in the sauce. 

My dad didn't believe me when I told him jackfruit is liked pulled pork, but when he tasted it, he was proven wrong! 

I did use an ingredient in this dish that some may not consider to be vegan- honey. But luckily for them, vegan honey is a thing and they can use that instead. 

You might be wondering where I got the jackfruit seeds from- well duh, the jackfruit itself! It turns out breaking down the jackfruit is easy once it's cut in half. All you have to do is get some kitchen shears and cut around the pods to access the seeds. But there are also visible seeds on the outside of a half jackfruit you can just pull out of the fruit too! 

So what do jackfruit seeds taste like? Bland chestnuts I probably should've roasted before boiling them with everything else. The insides of the seeds reminded me of fava beans without the bitter exterior. But I'm certain the seeds would've been completely edible had I just roasted them first. :(

HELPFUL LINK:

Vegan Honey- https://www.veganhoneycompany.com/

You will need: 

For the cooking equipment: 

A frying pan
A medium saucepot with lid

For the frank 'n beans: 

1/2 chopped onion
1/2 tsp. minced garlic(equivalent to 1 garlic clove)
Red palm oil or any cooking oil
1 cup(23 seeds) jackfruit seeds(the "beans)
1 cup jackfruit meat(either unripe or ripe)(the "franks")
7 ounces chopped coconut(not shredded coconut!)(the "bacon")
1/2 cup vegan tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar(I used chocolate-infused balsamic vinegar)
1/4 cup honey or vegan honey
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
Pinch of chipotle chili powder
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 slices bread to put the frank 'n beans on

1. Pour cooking oil into a frying pan. Spread the oil around the pan. Turn the stove on and heat the oil up. 
2. Once the oil is heated up, put the chopped onion & minced garlic into the frying pan. Sautee the onion and garlic by moving the two around the pan and coating them in the oil. It's normal for the onions to turn yellow if using red palm oil. Continue sauteeing until the onions are translucent and everything is fragrant. 
3. Put the sauteed onion and garlic into a medium saucepan, along with the next 15 ingredients. Mix all the ingredients up. 
4. Bring the contents in the saucepot to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the contents simmer for 45 minutes. Stir the inside of the pot every 5-10 minutes and put a lid on the saucepot. 
5. Let the saucepot cool down for 5 minutes. Put the vegan frank 'n beans on top of 2 slices of bread. 
6. Bon appetit! 

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