Jackfruit birria
Jackfruit birria
After spending several weeks in Puerto Vallarta this winter, I was inspired to make a vegan version of a popular regional dish. Birria is taco meat slowly cooked in a flavourful chili broth. I used the same approach with jackfruit. Once the broth is made, you make a mild salsa with the vegetables and the broth is used as a dip for your tacos. Leftover broth also makes a great base for tortilla soup.
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
Broth
2 poblano peppers – rough chop with seeds
2 Roma tomatoes – 1 cup rough chop
½ large onion – 1 cup rough chop
4 cloves garlic
8 cups vegetable broth
3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Taco filling
1 can green jackfruit – drained and rinsed
1 cup mushrooms – diced
Taco spice mix
3 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne – optional
Salsa
Vegetables cooked in broth
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro
Additional toppings
Simple slaw – cabbage, carrots, kale, apple cider vinegar or lime juice, salt and pepper
Steps
In a medium pot, simmer all the broth ingredients for about 30 minutes. Keep the lid on the pot, to avoid too much evaporation. Remove the pot from the heat. Discard the bay leaves. Strain the broth, returning the liquid to the pot.
Use the vegetables to make a salsa. Put them in a blender with some cilantro, salt and lime juice. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve the tacos.
Drain and rinse the canned green jackfruit. Add it to the broth. Bring it back to a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour until the jackfruit can be broken apart with a fork.
Remove the jackfruit from the pot and shred it. Add it to a pan with the mushrooms, tamari and spices. Add a little water if needed.
Heat the tortillas in a dry, medium high pan for 15 to 30 seconds a side.
Fill the warm tortillas with the jackfruit mixture, some salsa, slaw and either sour cream or avocado crema. I like to get a balanced bite of spice, acid, fat and crunch.
In Mexico, they served the tacos with the broth on the side for dipping like a beef dip au jus. Keep any leftover broth to make a delicious tortilla soup.
