Pork Banh Mi

Banh Mi is a sandwich with a fusion of French and Vietnamese flavors. You can make this with ground pork, thinly sliced whole muscle, or pounded cutlets. It is built like this: perfectly crusty ciabatta bread, smeared with liver pâté that has been mixed with aioli (or mayo). Deliciously marinated and caramelized pork, quick pickles, cilantro and sprouts, and then another piece of perfect ciabatta.

For the meat:

2 lb. pork loin, sliced thinly
1/4 c. fish sauce
3 T. rice vinegar
3 T. brown sugar
3 T. tamari
1 t. toasted sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 bunch chives, minced
1 t. black pepper, freshly ground
2 hot chiles, crushed
2 T. neutral vegetable oil

For quick pickles (feel FREE to use long-fermented veggie pickles instead, if you have some on hand!)

1/2 lb. mixed julienned root vegetables, such as carrot, radish, beet, daikon, etc.
1/2 C. water
1 C. distilled vinegar
1 t. kosher salt
2 T. cane sugar
any spices or garlic you want to throw in

For sandwich assembly

fresh hot peppers, sliced thin
fresh cilantro sprigs
liver pâté or pâté mixed with aioli or mayonnaise
4-6 lengths or rounds of good fresh Ciabatta bread

Prepare the pickles the day before, if you can. Place the veggies (and garlic, if you’re using) in sterile mason jars. Bring water, vinegar, salt, sugar, and any spices you’re adding in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling brine over the veggies, filling the jars and leaving just 1/2 inch headspace at the rim. Put lids on the jars and allow them to cool on the counter to room temperature. Then, transfer them to the fridge to chill them completely.

Prepare the meat the day of the feast. If you’re using cutlets, place them between waxed paper and pound them with a rolling pin until very thin. If you have already par-frozen your meat and sliced it very thinly on a meat slicer, you can skip that step. If you’re using ground meat, obviously, you can also skip that step. Combine the ingredients of the marinade. Put the meat into the marinade and refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour if not as much as 3.

After marinating the meat, heat a heavy skillet on medium high, and then cook the meat until it caramelizes (this won’t take long.) feel free to grill it if you want to skewer pounded cutlets or thin slices. Set the cooked meat aside while you get the sandwiches ready.

Toast the fresh ciabatta and then cut pieces in half lengthwise. Slather each side with your homemade liver pâté, or mayonnaise that has that pâté mixed generously within it. Then, pile on some cooked meat, some sliced hot peppers if you like, fresh cilantro, bean sprouts, and those cold tangy pickles. Enjoy!