# Grilled Jackfruit?



## osamaru (Jan 17, 2016)

So, I recently got a hold of a small Jackfruit (well I say "Small", but its 20 pounds, Bwahahhaha), something I've wanted to try for awhile now, and now that I have it, I've been trying to think of WHAT to do with it BWAHAHAHHAAH.
After splitting it up with those that chipped it (was $30 and change, so 4 of us pitched in) putting a little back for smoothies and other things, I still have about 2-3 Pounds of it to play with.
Its a little overripe to eat Raw, so I've been looking up recipes to use it in. Unfortunately, the majority of the stuff I've been able to find are BBQ, tacos or "fish" cakes, not really up my alley. 
Then I thought of something; Its got a pretty decent Pineapplely-Mangoy flavor going on, why not try grilling/roasting it like a Pineapple? It could even help moisten up the overly dry fruit a bit.
But I am not really sure WHERE to start with this. I could just grill it up like a Pineapple, but Jackfruit is a lot more fibrous and tougher than Pineapple; its almost like Meat or flesh (no wonder its being looked at as a Meat substitute).
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to do this? What kind of seasoning or sauces might work well? Thanks again for all the Help!


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## osamaru (Jan 17, 2016)

Well, since No one knows, and I can't seem to find anything on Google (You've failed me, Google), I decided to do a little trailblazing. Not like I am lacking in fruit to use, Bwahahah.
I by no means have any professional Training (I graduated from Youtube state), so If anyone wants to follow along and give me some suggestions or advice on how to do it better, I'd appreciate it!

_*Attempt 1 [Bare Skillet] *_
*Stats*: 1oz sliced Jackfruit, Mid heat, 5-6 mins

*Method*: Just threw it straight on the Skillet, nothing fancy. Let it cook till there was a nice brown crust like with Pineapple.
*Results*: So-So? It is still dry, and the musky flavor is still there, however the Pineapple flavor IS more pronounced

_*Attempt 2 [Lemon - Lime Juice] *_
*Stats*: 1oz sliced Jackfruit, small amounts of 2/3 Lemon-1/3 Lime juice mix), Mid heat, 5-6 mins

*Method*: With the last one still being so Dry, I thought of using a juice mix I spray on old meat to give it some tang and mask the musk. Its just a 2 part lemon, 1 part lime juice mix in a small spray bottle. Gave each side a little sprits every 2-3 mins.
*Results*: Was not bad. The tangy juice mixed well with the natural mild sweet flavor of the fruit. However, the juice was only a top layer flavor, and did not penetrate the fibrous fruit, so it was still dry and slightly musky over all.

_*Attempt 3 [Lemon - Lime Juice Soak] *_
*Stats*: 1oz sliced Jackfruit, small amounts of 2/3 Lemon-1/3 Lime juice mix), small pinch of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger , Low-mid heat, 8-10 mins

*Method*: Since the juice worked somewhat, I've stuck a few pieces of Jackfruit with holes and thew it in a baggy with some juice to soak for a little bit, to see if that will change anything. After letting it soak for about a hour, I threw it on the skittle again. There was still odd smell to it, so I split the batch into 3 and added to each a tiny amount of Cinnamon, Nutmeg or Ginger. Thinking I may not have allowed it to fully cook last time, I turned downed the heat a little and cooked it for a few more minutes.
*Results*: Overall, a huge improvement. The juice pairs well with the fruit, however I'd not soak it so long next time. The one with Ginger was by far the best. It goes well with the mellow flavor of the fruit, without overpowering it. The Nutmeg was alright, however it felt slightly "off". I've not used nutmeg often, so I may have simply used it wrong/too much. The Cinnamon, while not bad, did not mix well with the lemon-lime juice. It may be one to try with a different soak next time.

_*Attempt 1 [] *_
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_*Attempt 1 [] *_
*Stats*:

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## osamaru (Jan 17, 2016)

Finished the third attempt at it. Anyone have any suggestions on where to go from here? should I try a different route? or keep going down this one and see where it could be taken?


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I've only had it in dried form where it was much like a dried apple. In fresh form, I'd probably eat it out of hand. In Mexico, they use a salt, lime and chile dip on fruit. I think it would work well with jack fruit.


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## osamaru (Jan 17, 2016)

Quote:


phatch said:


> I've only had it in dried form where it was much like a dried apple. In fresh form, I'd probably eat it out of hand. In Mexico, they use a salt, lime and chile dip on fruit. I think it would work well with jack fruit.


Ya, the texture of the Fresh fruit has a nice crunch to it, like an apple almost, though softer; Its hard to describe, its firm and crunchy but soft with some give at the same time. I've heard someone compare it to Raw beef or chicken, but its a softer. I've thought of throwing it into a Pie like you would an apple, but I've only made 2-3 pies before, so not sure how I'd adapt it.
The ginger worked well with it, so at this point I am thinking about going down the "Sweet" route, rather than the "Meat substitute" route you see a lot in the internet, however I'm new to this kind of fruit and not really sure what all could be done with it.


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