This Vietnamese sandwich of grilled pork, cilantro, and pickled vegetables in a sliced baguette has been increasingly popular in the United States in the 21st century. The ingredients used in the sandwich reflect its international origin as a French colonial fusion dish, making it an easy sell in areas of the United States with strong French or Vietnamese immigrant backgrounds—most notably the urban centers of New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Seattle. With familiar ingredients in a unique combination, banh mi is exciting but not startling to US palates, characteristics that explain its surge in availability across the country.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
30 minutes
+ 8 hours resting
+ 8 hours resting
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
8 hours 40 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 4 oz shredded carrots
- 1 bunch radishes, sliced into thin matchsticks or shredded
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced thinly
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce, with additional for garnish
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp finely minced lemongrass
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp garlic, pressed through garlic press
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sriracha, or to taste
- Vegetable oil, about 1 Tbsp
- 4 medium-size, soft french rolls
- Cucumber slices, as garnish
- Jalapeño slices, as garnish
- Cilantro leaves, as garnish
Directions
- Combine the carrots and radishes in a large container or bowl.
- Combine the rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small bowl, stirring until completely dissolved.
- Pour the mixture over the vegetables, cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Combine the pork slices, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and black pepper in a large bowl. Toss to coat, cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat, drizzle 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil onto the heated surface. Working in batches, add pieces of pork in an even layer, allowing the meat to sear and caramelize for 1 minute, then flipping and cooking for under a minute, until thoroughly charred. Repeat until all the pork is cooked, setting aside cooked portions until finished.
- Slice the French rolls in half lengthwise. Build the sandwiches by spreading the mayonnaise mixture on both sides, sprinkling a few additional drops of soy sauce over the mayonnaise layer, then adding a layer of pork slices and a generous amount of the pickled vegetables, finishing with garnish of cucumber and jalapeno slices and plenty of cilantro.
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