Our oldest daughter used to order an open faced roast beef sandwich any chance she could get. Once we went vegetarian and eventually vegan, it was a dish she often mentioned missing.
While it was not something I ever craved, I decided I would try to make a vegan version of an open faced roast beef sandwich that would hopefully satisfy her craving.
Although the jackfruit does not mimic the usual thinly sliced beef, the flavor is rich and convincing. This recipe takes a while to cook, but the prep time is fairly short. So if you are hanging around the house on a weekend, you can easily prep a batch of this vegan roast jackfruit, and let it cook while you go along your merry way!
I add red wine to this recipe and it truly makes all the difference in the rich, savory flavor, so I strongly suggest not skipping that ingredient. If you choose to skip out on the wine, I can not account for what that will do to the flavor of the jackfruit. I would suggest adding extra water or maybe some mushroom broth if you do decide to skip it!
This recipe is warm, savory, delicious, comfort food that has now become a regular on our families winter dinner rotation and hopefully yours, as well!
Ingredients:
Sliced sourdough or french bread
Vegan cheese slices
2 cans of jackfruit in brine
3 teaspoons low sodium Vegetable Better than Bouillon
1 and 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 larger yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
For the Gravy
1 yellow onion thinly sliced
3 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 teaspoons Vegetable Better Than Bouillon
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons vegan butter
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a dutch oven, or another large OVEN SAFE pot, over medium heat on the stove top. Add a little oil, and the sliced onion, and cook until the onions are translucent. While the onion are cooking, drain the jackfruit, and using your fingers, shred the jackfruit apart into the pot with the onion. Add the Better than Bouillon and let the onion and jackfruit continue to cook for a few minutes to help remove the brine flavor the jackfruit tends to have.
After about 5 minutes, add the water and remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir well and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Once it is simmering, put the lid on the pot and carefully transfer it to the oven.
Allow the jackfruit to cook in the oven with the lid on for about 1 hour. After an hour, remove the lid and cook for another hour, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Check on the jackfruit and give it a stir a few times while it’s in the oven. Once all the liquid has been absorbed, carefully remove the pot from the oven and place the lid back on. Set aside while you prepare the gravy.
For the gravy: In a medium deep skillet (I use my cast iron) add a few teaspoons of vegan butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of flour over the onions and allow the flour to cook for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low. Whisk the Better Than Bouillon into the water and carefully pour the mixture into the pan. Add the remaining seasonings and stir well. Continue to stir the gravy until it has thickened.
Place enough slices of bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Place in the oven until bread is toasty and cheese has melted (if you do not want cheese, just put the bread in until toasted).
To make the sandwiches, top toasted bread with jackfruit roast “beef”and gravy.
Yields 6 - 8 open faced sandwiches.
