Vietnam · Appetizers and Sandwiches
Bánh Mì
Bánh mì (banh mi, bánh mỳ, バインミー, 越南法包) is a Vietnamese sandwich: a crisp baguette filled with fried pork, quick-pickled carrot and daikon (đồ chua), cucumber, cilantro and chili sauce.
Ingredients
- small crusty baguettes (about 75 g each)2
- pork shoulder or neck200 g
- vegetable oil1 tbsp
- soy sauce2 tbsp
- honey or sugar1 tsp
- fish sauce1 tsp
- garlic clove1
- small shallot1
- lemongrass, tender white part1 stalk
- black pepper0.25 tsp
- carrot75 g
- daikon or radish75 g
- sugar4 tsp
- salt0.5 tsp
- rice vinegar3 tbsp
- water100 ml
- mayonnaise2 tbsp
- liver pâté, optional2 tbsp
- sriracha or chili sauce1 tsp
- cucumber0.5
- fresh cilantro1 handful
- fresh chilioptional
Method
- 1Start with the pickles, because they need at least 30 minutes. Cut the carrot and daikon (about 150 g in all) into thin matchsticks. Knead them with the salt and 1 teaspoon of the sugar for 2–3 minutes until they release liquid, then drain it off. Stir the water, rice vinegar and the remaining sugar until the sugar dissolves, pour it over the vegetables and make sure they are covered. Leave for 30 minutes, an hour if you can, while you prepare the pork.
- 2Slice the pork thin, about 3 mm. Mince the lemongrass, shallot and garlic and mix them with the soy sauce, honey, fish sauce and pepper. Coat the meat and leave it for 15 minutes, or 30 if you have time. Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat and fry the pork in batches, 2–3 minutes per side, until the edges are dark and caramelized and no pink is left inside. Don't crowd the pan, or the meat steams instead of browning.
- 3Heat the oven to 200°C and warm the baguettes for 3–5 minutes, until the crust crackles when you press it. Split each one lengthways, but not quite through. Without an oven, toast the cut sides in a dry pan for a minute. The crunch is the whole point of bánh mì.
- 4Spread mayonnaise on one side of each baguette and sriracha on the other; if you use liver pâté, put a thin layer under the mayonnaise. Add the pork, then the drained pickles, cucumber, a generous pile of cilantro and fresh chili if you want heat. Press lightly and eat right away, while the bread is still crisp.