Once upon a time, vegetarian and vegan barbecue-goers were confined to nibbling on corn on the cob and a side salad while everyone else dug into a smoky, delicious dinner. But times are changing for the 10 million vegans in the United States.
First, let’s talk terms. A vegan is someone who doesn’t use any animal products. That’s different from a vegetarian. Vegetarians don’t consume meat, but many use eggs, dairy, honey and other products that come from animals. Vegans don’t consume any animal products. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, no honey. Animal products are often lurking where you would not suspect. Gelatin is made from bones. Many wines use animal products during the fermentation process. That doesn’t mean vegans are limited to eating bowls of lettuce and lentils. Restaurants and grocery stores are offering more and more options to that swelling customer base.
Let’s look at some ways to put your grill to work to satisfy the vegans (and everyone else) at your cookout with delicious plant-based choices.
Smoked Pulled Jackfruit
Jackfruit, as the name suggests, is a fruit. But this tropical relative of the fig has a stringy texture similar to pulled pork or chicken and is a superstar ingredient in plant-based cooking. You’ll want to use unripe jackfruit for a meat alternative. It’s available canned or fresh in some stores. Ripe jackfruit has a texture and taste unlike any other tropical fruit.
To smoke jackfruit, cut it up into chunks, pat dry, and coat liberally with your favorite vegan barbecue rub. Get the temperature of your smoker to 225 before adding the jackfruit.
This won’t take 14 hours like a good pork butt. Give the jackfruit about half an hour. Then transfer to a foil pan and add your favorite vegan barbecue sauce. (Non-vegans need to read the label to keep an eye out for ingredients like honey.) Cover the jackfruit with enough sauce to allow it to braise. Then cover with foil and put it back on the smoker for another thirty minutes. Remove the foil and smoke uncovered for another half an hour.
Remove from the smoker and pull the jackfruit apart with two forks or other shredding utensils. Serve just like you would pulled pork.
Smoked Tofu
Tofu is the classic meat substitute and the butt of many jokes about vegetarians and vegans. However, this versatile staple of many Asian cuisines works flavor magic in many recipes. Tofu is simply bean curd and it really doesn’t taste like much. But it has a unique ability to absorb the flavors around it and somehow magnify them.
Before using tofu, you need to remove it from the package and press out the water. You can accomplish that by packing the tofu on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Put more paper towels on top of the tofu then add another baking sheet. Put some cans or a heavy pot on top of that baking sheet and allow it to sit for a few hours or even overnight to press out as much liquid as possible. Serious tofu cooks should think about buying a tofu press.
Once the tofu is dry, cut it up into 1 inch cubes. Now it’s time to add the barbecue flavor. Toss the tofu in your favorite barbecue rub or marinate with vegan barbecue sauce. Give it at least an hour to absorb flavors. Heat the smoker to around 225 degrees.
Place the tofu on a wire rack with small openings and place in the smoker for three hours. The tofu should firm up and take on a smoky color. If you like a saucy barbecue, you can toss them in sauce after smoking. Smoked tofu works great on skewers or served with a favorite side dish.
Smoked Cauliflower
Think of it as plant-based smoked wings without the chicken. This dish requires a quick trip to the oven before heading out to the girl. Start by cutting a head of cauliflower in half and tossing with olive oil and your favorite barbecue rub.
Put the split cauliflower cut side down a wire rack in a 225 degree smoker for three hours. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce or make a traditional Buffalo wing sauce.
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