Bahn Mi Sandwich

 The perfect sandwich for summer. The Bahn Mi sandwich is a fusion of the French baguette with classic Vietnamese flavors and includes a magical balance of salty, sweet, acid and heat. Lemongrass marinated pork, quick pickled

veggies, fresh cilantro and sliced jalapenos all piled onto a fresh French baguette with spicy sriracha mayo. Serve with potato chips and a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio.

 Serves 4

Pork:

1 ¼ lb boneless pork shoulder

1 shallot, finely minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 stalks lemongrass, chopped

2 Tbl. Fish sauce

1 Tbl. Vegetable oil

2 Tbl. Coconut sugar

1 Tbl. Corn starch

½ tsp. ground black pepper

Spicy Mayo:

1/4 cup mayo

1 Tbl. sriracha

½ small lime squeezed

Dash of toasted sesame oil       

Quick Pickles:

1 cup Daikon radish, sliced into matchsticks

1 cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks

½-1 jalapeno, thinly sliced rounds

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup Rice vinegar (no added salt/sugar)

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. sea salt.

Sauce & Rolls:

2 baugettes or 4 french rolls

½ persian cucumber, thinly sliced

¼ cup fresh cilantro for garnish

Additional jalapenos for garnish

     • Make pickles first, they will last for about a week in the refrigerator after they are made. Prepare all sliced vegetables and set into the jar or dish you want to keep the pickles in. Heat water and sugar in a saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add vinegar. Adding cool vinegar to the mix will avoid cracking your glass containers, but if you have heat sensitive containers or your glass containers are cold, wait for 20 minutes until the sugar water cools down before pouring it into your containers.

     • Stir together spicy mayo ingredients and refrigerate.

     • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

     • In a bowl large enough to contain the pork, stir together all pork marinade ingredients.

     • Slice the pork across the grain into ¼” strips that are about 1-2 inches by 2-3 inches. Add pork to marinade, stir and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

     • Add pork in a single layer to a rimmed baking sheet; you can line the sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Roast for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Turn broiler on high and use a timer to crisp the pork for 4 minutes per side or until crispy. Let cool slightly before assembling sandwiches.

     • Assemble each sandwich. Toast whole rolls in oven to warm them up. Slice lengthwise and spread about 1 Tbl. of mayo or spicy mayo on the bottom half. Add pork and pickled veggies and top with sliced cucumbers, cilantro and fresh jalapenos.

      Notes: You can leave jalapenos out of quick

pickles and add as a garnish instead if you

or your guests are sensitive to spice.