| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 sandwiches |
Ingredients
- 2 cups white distilled vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 cups julienned daikon radish (cut into strips or run through a mandoline)
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 1/2 English cucumber, partially peeled in sections to leave some skin on, cut into half moons
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, 1/4-inch dice (about 2 cups)
- 1 heaping tablespoon peeled and finely grated ginger
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds ground pork
- Six 8-inch hoagie rolls
- 2 fresh jalapenos, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- For the pickled vegetables: Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the daikon, carrots and cucumbers. Let steep for at least an hour.
- For the spicy mayonnaise: Mix the mayonnaise, Sriracha and sesame oil together. Adjust the heat by either adding more Sriracha or mayonnaise.
- For the pork: Heat the canola oil in a straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until slightly softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the pickling liquid from the pickled vegetables and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, hoisin sauce and black pepper and stir to combine. Simmer until reduced slightly and thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the ground pork, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, and cook until the pork is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
- For the sandwich build: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the rolls for 5 minutes, to crisp the crust and soften the interior. Slice the rolls open, but keep them hinged. Schmear desired amount of spicy mayo on the bottom roll, place some pork on top of that, top with some pickled vegetables, fresh jalapenos, cilantro leaves, and finish with the chopped peanuts. Grab with two hands, eat whole and close your eyes while enjoying this first class ticket to Saigon.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 20 servings |
| Calories | 312 |
| Total Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Cholesterol | 38 mg |
| Sodium | 875 mg |
Reviews
I cut the salt by half and this was still way too salty.. I had to throw it out.. it was just gross.
LOVE THIS RECIPE – (*TWEAKED*)
So I made this today and it came out amazing. I did a couple things different though. In the hopes of reducing salt content like many other reviewers, I got salt free chicken stock. I also cut the fish sauce down to 1/4 cup, and added some extra hoisin.
Most importantly, instead of crumbled pork, I mixed my pork with a little onion garlic and ginger, balled them up, and then dunked them in the sauce after reducing it and pan fried them in oil for a crisp pork patty, more like a traditional banh mi. Tasted almost exactly if not better than a local place I’ve been ordering them from!! Five out of five, will make again.
Also used Japanese Kewpie Mayo for my spicy Mayo, love that stuff. Hope this helps all you future recipe goers!
It’s really salty and although it’s not bad, it definitely shouldn’t be called a bahn mi sandwich. I think If there was a way to make it less salty, a sweeter pickling like the traditional bahn mi and should be marinated and grilled instead of ground pork. That may make it taste better.
Too salty
This is delicious!
One of my new favorites! Stores very well and easy if split into two days.
This is insanely too salty. I would absolutely not recommend adding the brine mixture to the pork. There is no way that you would want more saltiness here. The main area for improvement IMO, is in the pickled veg. I also like the suggestion to use pork loin instead. Overall, I think this is maybe a good starting point, but not that great as is.
I added sliced fennel and used regular red radishes for the pickeled vegetables as well as teaspoon of gochujang. Yummy!
I highly suggest mixing a splash or two of the extra pickling liquid into the spicy mayo, it adds some amazing flavor. I can’t speak for the ground pork in this because I combined the delicious seared and roasted pork from another recipe (Pork Loin Sandwich by Jeff Mauro https://food-network.app.link/1NZ2awaYj7) with this one but the resulting banh mi was scrumptious!!
So I had left over pulled pork which I’m warming up with all the suggested seasonings. I’m sure the seasoning that was on it changes things but so far so good. I’m sure with the pickles and mayo it will be fabulous