Vegan Philly Jackfruit Cheesesteak

Why This Vegan Philly Jackfruit Cheesesteak Works

During cooking, the onions and peppers sit in the hot oil long enough to soften and slump down. As they soften, they taste sweeter and lose that sharp bite, which gives the sandwich a mellow base. When the garlic and spices go in, the heat wakes them up and the oil spreads their taste all through the vegetables.

Once the shredded jackfruit hits the pan, it soaks up that seasoned oil and the juices from the onions and peppers. Over the next few minutes, the edges of the jackfruit start to dry a little and brown, so it goes from wet and stringy to chewy and a bit crispy, closer to the feel of sliced steak.

In the blender, soaked cashews break down and turn very smooth with the water. Nutritional yeast and the seasonings mix in evenly, so the sauce becomes thick, pourable, and creamy, like melted cheese. When the warm jackfruit mixture goes onto the toasted rolls and the cashew sauce goes on top, the soft bread, chewy jackfruit, and silky “cheese” all hold together in each bite.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the jackfruit go in the pan without shredding it enough leaves big chunks that never really crisp up. The outside may brown a bit, but the inside stays firm and stringy, so the filling feels chunky instead of having that soft, pulled “steak” texture.

When the jackfruit is cooked on low heat or for too short a time, it stays pale and wet. The moisture doesn’t cook off, so it steams instead of browning, and the filling turns out soft and a little soggy inside the roll.

Adding the garlic at the very start with the onions and peppers keeps it in the pan too long. The small bits of garlic can burn around the edges of the skillet, leaving hard, bitter specks scattered through the filling.

Pouring too much water into the blender for the cashew cheese makes the sauce runny. Instead of clinging to the jackfruit and the bread, it seeps into the roll, making the sandwich damp and causing the filling to slide out.