The Jack Reuben
I’ve eaten a lot of salt beef sandwiches in my life: fat heavy numbers from Baker Street cafés that I could barely get my sizeable jaw around, midnight bagels in taxis passing through Brick Lane, New York food trucks, and supermarket pretenders that didn’t quite hit the spot, but were better than not having one at all. My life would not be complete without this, the undisputed king of all sandwiches, so I set about trying to create a vegan version that would be just as delicious in its own right, while staying as faithful as possible to the original. This took a few tries; I marinated in beer, in powdered mushroom stock, in dark hoppy ales and Bisto granules, before I decided to just let the flavours speak for themselves and stop trying to imitate the actual beef. The result is crisp but tender, dry enough, but with a juicy bite and a tangy, salty, peppery familiarity, something that’s equally at home in a toasted white bagel as a hunk of dark, sweet rye bread.
By Jack Monroe
Serves
2
| Prep
10 mins
plus marinating | Cook
20 mins
| Calories
632
(per serving)
400g tin (1¾ cups) of jackfruit in brine – I like Summer Pride
1 cooked small red beetroot
1 tsp vinegar – any clear kind
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp each of salt and black pepper
2 tbsp light cooking oil, plus extra for frying
FOR THE DRESSING
1 tsp finely chopped dill pickle
1 tsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp vegan mayo
1 tsp vegan horseradish, if it’s available, or English mustard
2 tbsp ketchup
a dash of hot sauce
TO SERVE
2 bagels, sliced, or
4 slices of rye bread sauerkraut
dill pickles, thinly sliced
2 slices of smoked vegan ‘cheese’
1 First drain the jackfruit through a fine-mesh sieve. Squeeze the excess liquid using your hands to push it against the sieve, until the fruit feels fairly dry, then pop it into a large mixing bowl.
2 Finely grate the beetroot over the top. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper, paprika and oil. Break up the jackfruit with a fork or spoon into tiny shreds so the marinade soaks right in. Leave for an hour in the fridge.
3 Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place the dill pickle in a small bowl with the onion. Add the mayo, ketchup, horseradish or mustard and hot sauce, and stir well to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
4 When the jackfruit is well marinated, tip it into a large non-stick frying pan. I prefer to do mine in a wok, but that’s because I like the space to shove it all around a bit. A normal frying pan will do just fine. Add a splash of oil and cook on high heat for a few minutes until it starts to sizzle, then reduce to a medium heat and cook for 15-20 minutes more, stirring occasionally to disturb it. You want the jackfruit to be slightly crisp at some of its edges, with a dry-but-juicy texture to imitate the salt beef.
5 Toast the bread – whether a bagel or rye bread – lightly on both sides. Now you need to move quickly. Smother the base layer with your jackfruit. Pile it high. Add sauerkraut, pickles and ‘cheese’. Top with dressing. Pop the other slice on top. Halve it if you please – I prefer not to. Devour, over a plate, to catch all that will inevitably plop out the other side as soon as you take a bite. If it’s not leaking, it’s not full enough. There is no gracious way to eat this, you just have to get on with it! And enjoy.
This sandwich is eaten messy, so prepare to get stuck into a crisp and tender juicy bite
Mock duck wraps
These are a riff on hoisin duck wraps sold in my local shop, which are themselves probably based on traditional Chinese crispy duck wraps from the takeaway over the road. In the culinary world we do all borrow from one another, and translate our own experiences into slightly different recipes. Hoisin duck would traditionally be served in steamed buns, rice paper wraps or filo pastry spring rolls, so use those if you can.
By Jack Monroe
Serves
2
| Prep
15 mins
plus marinating | Cook
20 mins
| Calories
340
(per serving)
400g tin (1¾ cups) of jackfruit in brine – I like Summer Pride
1 tsp oil (sesame is best, but any will do), plus extra for frying
½ tsp Chinese five spice powder
5 tbsp hoisin or teriyaki sauce
2 fat garlic cloves, peeled and grated
2cm (¾in) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed
2 tbsp vegan mayo