To watch step by step instructions on this recipe click HERE.
One of the most recognizable dishes of Mexico all over the world is: Tacos. The basic composition of a taco is a corn tortilla, with some type of filling, with onions and cilantro, topped with a salsa of your choice, and a hint of lime juice. However, you can make a taco with whatever fillings you want and with whatever toppings you wish.
Today, I want to share with you the vegan version of a very popular taco: Taco de Carnitas or Pulled Pork Tacos. The most important ingredient of today’s recipe is: Jackfruit. Jackfruit is the fruit from a tree in the mulberry family. Native to the South and Southeastern Asia. It is consumed in many ways but I like to use it because it’s healthy and it has a meat-like consistency. This is going to be the “carnitas” of my tacos. I’m using green jackfruit and I have shredded it with my fingers until I got this consistency; see like pulled pork.
If you can find fresh green jackfruit use it! But if you can’t it’s pretty easy to find it canned in brine at almost any Asian grocery store. Use the green jackfruit only as the ripe one will be too sweet.
Yields Approximately 10 Small Tacos
Ingredients:
1 can jackfruit
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1/4 sweet paprika
3 chopped garlic
1/4 chopped onion
10 tortillas
Ingredients Green Salsa
10 Jalapeños
3 garlic
1 teaspoon salt
- In a pan, under medium/high heat, I’m using 1/4 cup of oil (I prefer the taste of corn oil).
- Once the oil is hot I can add the shredded jackfruit and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- I want to make the jackfruit crispy but not fried. It should take about 7-10 minutes.
- At this point I will reduce the heat down to medium and add the chopped onion, chopped garlic, cumin, and black pepper. You want the onions to become translucent but you don’t want to brown the garlic or onion. Otherwise it will be bitter.
- Now, I can add the nutritional yeast and saute really quickly.
- Then I will add half of the salsa we prepared, which is about 1 cup.
- I’m reserving the rest of the salsa as a topping for the tacos. You can sauté this for about another minute just incorporate the flavors and cook the salsa with the oils.
- That’s it, the carnitas are done.
I’ve added the carnitas on top of the tortillas; sprinkled chopped onion and cilantro; added a little more salsa; and of course we can’t forget the lime juice to bring a balance.
They are so delicious!! The jackfruit has the texture of carnitas and the ingredients make all these flavors explode in my mouth.
So go on and make this healthier version of tacos de carnitas.
Buen Provecho!
