Curried Pork Banh Mi

40 minutes to assemble
10 minutes to grill
Total time: 50 minutes
5 Sandwiches
40 minutes to assemble
10 minutes to grill
Total time: 50 minutes
5 Sandwiches
This popular Vietnamese sandwich is a product of French colonialism and Indonesian influences. We upped the ante by adding Thai Red Curry Paste and Fish Sauce to the ground pork. It’s divine!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup each water and rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup julienned carrots
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red radishes*
  • 4 tablespoons oil, divided, plus extra for grill
  • 1/2 cup minced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste
  • 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
  • 1 lb ground pork (90% lean)
  • 1 French baguette, cut into five 3-4 inch pieces
  • Mayonnaise
  • 5 leaves romaine lettuce, rolled together and sliced thinly
  • 1 English cucumber
  • 1 cup rough chopped cilantro
  • Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce or favorite hot sauce
  • *If your supermarket sells daikon radish, substitute it for red radish, because it's more authentic

Directions

  1. Bring water, sugar and vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Stir in carrots and radishes. Set aside to marinate.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet and heat over a medium-high temperature. Add shallots and garlic. Stirring, cook until wilted. Add Red Curry Paste and Fish Sauce. Cook until curry is dissolved into vegetables. Scrape contents of skillet into a medium bowl, with a rubber spatula.
  3. Add pork to red curry mixture and lightly mix with a fork until combined. Shape into 5 oblong patties (about 3-4 inches long) to match baguette slices. Preheat grill.
  4. While grill is heating: slice baguette pieces and open like a book, with one end hinged. Brush insides with remaining oil. Cut cucumber to match baguette lengths and slice cucumber pieces length-wise, about 1/8 inch thick. Set aside with other vegetables.
  5. Brush grill grates with oil. Grill patties on medium-high heat for 5 minutes each side, with grill top closed. Pork is done when it is no longer pink or the temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer. At the same time, grill baguette pieces face down so insides get nice grill lines, about 5 minutes.
  6. Slather insides of grilled baguettes with mayonnaise and layer each piece with: romaine, (drained) carrot and radish mixture, top with grilled pork, cucumber slices, cilantro and a healthy drizzle of Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce. Close and secure with long toothpick. Serve with Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce on side for those รขโ‚ฌล“that like it hot!รขโ‚ฌย

In This Recipe

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