I’m not a big fan of BBQ sauce, but sometimes you just feel like eating bread stuffed with stuff. The spicy, tangy and juicy flavours of this vegan pulled pork are soooo good.
When I first came to the Philippines in 2010, I seriously thought I was going to starve to death. Hardly anybody understood the concept of vegetarianism, let alone veganism. Meat Magic was one of the very first vegan protein products that I found. The texture of Meat Magic is perfect for making vegan pulled pork, without any of the cruelty. Ten years later today, the vegan scene in the Philippines is thriving, and it is so exciting watching one of the meatiest cuisines in Asia turn towards veganism.
For a gluten-free dish, you can replace it with jackfruit. For this recipe, I made my own homemade DIY BBQ sauce.
Ingredients
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Main Ingredients
- Flavouring
Instructions
- Prepare your not-pork—Meat Magic or jackfruit—and tear it up into stringy chunks. Chop or slice the onions any old way you like as long as they are not huge. Mince the garlic.
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Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat and fry the onions. Once they start to become translucent, add the garlic and fry briefly until the raw smell disappears. Add the not-pork and mix well. It will look pretty sad and boring for now, but don't worry we'll work on that.
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Add the cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and sugar, and stir to mix well. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pan for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to get some caramelisation and char on the not-pork.
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Add 1.5 cups of BBQ sauce and mix well, then add salt to taste. Turn the heat down to low and allow the sauce to cook down. If you prefer a saucier and messier pulled pork, you can skip the cooking down, or add more BBQ sauce. I have issues with sticky fingers so I always have mine comparatively dry.
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Once the pulled not-pork is at your desired consistency, you're done. Serve your pulled not-pork with bread or wrap it in a lettuce, whatever you like! A nice, cold, coleslaw goes great with this as it balances the spiciness.
