Pipián Rojo

Ingredients

For the Jackfruit:

• 2 20 oz. cans Green Jackfruit in brine, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp. Salt
• ½  tsp. Pepper
• 2 tbsp. Cumin Powder
• ¼ tbsp. Chili Flakes
• ¾ cups Olive Oil

For the Pipián sauce:

• ½ cup Pumpkin Seeds, toasted
• 1 tbsp. Oil
• 6 Guajillo Chiles, cleaned and stem removed
• 2 cups Vegetable broth
• 2 cups Water
• 1 tbsp. Salt

Directions

For the Jackfruit:

1. In a medium bowl, add jackfruit and all dry ingredients and mix together. Add ½ cup olive oil. Reserve leftover oil for the last few minutes of cooking.
2. Preheat nonstick pan to medium high heat.
3. Add jackfruit to pan, and allow to brown all around. Use the back of a spoon to break down jackfruit pieces until it is shredded.
4. Once shredded and brown, add oil and cook for another 2 minutes.

For the Pipián sauce:

1. Preheat dry pan to medium heat.
2. Add raw pumpkin seeds to pan, and stir continuously until toasted and inflated. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Coat bottom of hot pan with oil, and add guajillos chiles to pan fry until slightly blackened on both sides, and place into mixing bowl with 2 cups water to rehydrate. Place another mixing bowl over the chiles to hold down chiles.
4. Add rehydrated chiles to blender with toasted pumpkin seeds (reserve a few for garnish), salt, and 2 cups vegetable broth.  
5. Blend until smooth, and add water from rehydrated chiles if necessary to create a sauce consistency.
6. Add sauce to saucepan and allow to simmer. Add cooked jackfruit and mix until combined.

Pro Tips

Try it the traditional way using chicken or pork as protein.