RECIPE
National Afro-Vegan Conference 2021
By Adjoa Courtney aka, Chef Joya
Chef Joya's Jerk Ribz have a delicious meaty texture thanks to seitan and shredded jackfruit. The flavors are a savory, sweet, and spicy blend of BBQ sauce and Jamaican Jerk sauce.
Ingredients
1 20 oz. canned green jackfruit (in brine)
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. onion powder 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 packet onion soup mix
1 tbsp. vegan beef bouillon
1 cup water
2 tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. jerk spices
4 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1⁄4 cup grapeseed oil
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 tbsp. jerk marinade
Preparation
PREHEAT THE OVEN to 375o F degrees.
DRAIN AND RINSE the jackfruit, very well.
BOIL THE JACKFRUIT for 20 minutes, with one teaspoon of vegan beef bouillon.
DRAIN AND SHRED using two forks.
COMBINE ALL THE DRY ingredients together in a bowl.
THEN, ADD THE shredded jackfruit, vegan Worcestershire, sauce water, peanut butter, oil, and liquid smoke.
MIX WELL UNTIL a dough starts to form
USE YOUR HAND to knead the dough for two minutes until the dough holds together, nicely. (You may need to add more water, but be mindful not to make it too wet; the dough should still be pliable).
SPRAY A LARGE baking sheet with nonstick spray. SHAPE THE DOUGH down into a rectangular loaf pan, about one inch thick.
SLICE THE DOUGH into strips with a pizza cutter.
COMBINE THE barbecue sauce and jerk marinade.
BRUSH BOTH SIDES of the seitan generously with the sauce.
PLACE IN THE OVEN for 30 minutes.
FLIP THE RIBZ, and continue to cook for 20 more minutes.
Heat a griddle to high, and spray with nonstick spray.
SEAR THE RIBZ for 20 seconds on each side, or until char marks are visible
ADD MORE SAUCE and enjoy.
Chef Joya Bio
Adjoa Courtney, aka Chef Joya, is an award-winning private chef, cookbook author, and owner of Cooking With Joya, who is based in Charlotte, NC. Chef Joya specializes in vegan and plant-based cuisine that incorporates Soul Food, Afro-Caribbean, French, and African cultural influences. Chef Joya is famous for her ability to "veganize" any dish that traditionally contains meat and is becoming a formidable force in the vegan culinary industry—one magical meal at a time. With several awards, successful restaurant collaborations, and cooking competition titles under her belt, one can find Chef Joya experimenting with dishes, preparing for her next exclusive dinner party, cooking for her celebrity clients, or sharing recipes on Instagram or YouTube via her channel, “Say What! It’s Vegan?” Recent accolades include being named both critics’ choice “Best Vegan Chef” and readers’ choice “Best Chef” in The Best of The Nest 2019 issue of Queen City Nerve Alt. Weekly Newspaper, being a featured chef (the only vegan chef) on BuzzFeed’s Tasty social media channels, and being selected as a 2021 Women Building the Future Honoree by Vegan Women Summit and Impossible Foods.
Connect with Chef Joya
Online Store: www.chefjoyasnest.com
IG: @cookingwithjoya