Otherwise known as the Vietnamese sandwich. According to Wikipedia, the term “Bánh mì” actually refers to the bread. It is important to use a good french bread here with a crust that is not too hard. A little crispness is a good thing.
The Bánh mì is, unfortunately, a bit scarce in my local area here in the Sierra Nevada foothills. A local restaurant, “La Bou” in El Dorado hills, used to have one on their menu which was tasty. That might even be how I got hooked. I still make it a point to order it every time I go in there so they can explain to me how they removed it from the menu at only this one location and they can look at the disappointment on my face. Of course, in the bay area, these sandwiches are quite popular and very good.
There’s something about the pickled vegetables, spiciness, and caramelized meat which just comes together in a magical way. There’s really no trickery here, but there is a little time investment involved in prepping and marinating veggies, but it is well worth it and most things can be done ahead. Also, these sandwiches are often made with various types of pork lunchmeat which often contains bits of pork ear which adds to the texture. But I like the barbecued, caramelized pork versions the best. As luck would have it, our local supermarket carries some of the thinnest pork loin chops which are nearly useless, until now…
Bánh mì Sandwich
By Published: March 10, 2013
- Yield: 2 big sandwiches (2 Servings)
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Ready In: 45 mins
Otherwise known as the Vietnamese sandwich. According to Wikipedia, the term "Bánh mì" actually refers to the bread. It is …
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork loin
- 1 bunch cilantro large chop
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tblsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tblsp ginger freshly ground
- 6 oz craft beer
- .5 tblsp pepper fresh ground
- .5 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tblsp salt
- 2 tblsp sugar
- 1 large carrot cut into match sticks
- 1 bunch red radishes cut into thin coins
- 1 jalapeño cut into thin coins
- 1 baguette
- mayonnaise
- Maggi seasoning
Instructions
- Either purchase or cut your pork loin into thin chops or medallions. Then, one at a time, place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat tenderizer, heavy bottle, rolling pin, etc.. until they are about 1/8" thin. Place the flattened meat in a bowl or zip lock for future marination.
Seperately, in a small bowl assemble the meat marinade starting with the soy sauce, going down the list to the pepper. Mix well and combine with meat making sure to work it in. Set aside. Next, in a bowl, place the ingredients together for the vegetable marinade to include the cider vinegar, salt, and sugar. Add the carrots and radishes to combine. This can be done ahead up to a couple days but should be done at least an hour ahead.
Preheat your grill or grill pan to high heat. Grill meat on each side for just a couple of minutes or until it shows some caramelization and browning with spots of black. Remove meat.
Cut baguette into 8 inch portions, slice and spread with mayo. Grill the bread with the mayo side down briefly just to toast it.
- Assembly:
Layer some pork.. Depending on the shape of your pork after pounding and cooking, you may want to slice it to better accommodate the bread. Then add the pickled vegetables, some cilantro, and jalapeño (if desired). Next add a few drops of Maggi seasoning (Asian isle at store), sriracha hot sauce, or experiment with some other flavors.
- Cuisine: Asian
- Course: Sandwiches
- Skill Level: Easy
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