Mar 19, 2011
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Banh Mi (Vietnamese-Style Sandwich)

According to Andrea Nguyen, author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2006), the baguette for this iconic Vietnamese sandwich "should be light and airy, with a very delicate crumb that does not fight you, but just frames the sandwich."
This recipe first appeared in our April 2011 special Sandwich Issue with Nguyen's article Street Hero.
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Banh Mi (Vietnamese-Style Sandwich) Enlarge Image Credit: Todd Coleman
SERVES 4

For the slaw:
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup sugar
½ cup julienned carrots
½ cup julienned daikon radish 
Kosher salt, to taste

For the seasoned pork:
1 tsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion
12 oz. ground pork
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
½ tsp. Asian-style hot sauce 
½ tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
½ tsp. red food coloring
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

4 10″ Vietnamese baguettes or Portuguese rolls, split
½ cup mayonnaise
8 ⅛″-thick slices Vietnamese-style pork roll (cha lua) or bologna
8 ⅛″-thick slices Vietnamese-style salami or ham
½ cup cilantro sprigs
½ medium English cucumber, cut lengthwise into 4 thick slices
Asian-style chile oil, to taste

Make the slaw: Bring vinegar, sugar, and ½ cup water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat; transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in carrots, radish, and salt, and set the slaw aside for 30 minutes. Drain.

Make the seasoned pork: Heat oil in a 10″ nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, 2–3 minutes. Add pork, hoisin, 2 tsp. soy sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, five-spice powder, food coloring, onion and garlic powders, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until browned, 5–6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat oven to 400°. Place baguettes on a baking sheet and spread 1 tbsp. mayonnaise inside both halves. Bake until hot and slightly crisped, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and divide seasoned pork evenly between baguettes. Top each with 2 slices pork roll, 2 slices salami, 1 tsp. soy sauce, ¼ of the cilantro, and 1 cucumber slice. Season with more pepper and chile oil, and top with the slaw. Close sandwiches.

Banh Mi (Vietnamese-Style Sandwich)

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #137

Ratings & Reviews (3)

noAvatar
This is my next sandwich to try. Will review once I get back.
noAvatar
The bread in the image looks sad. I feel like this is a common problem in the recent popularization of the banh mi. The interior of the bread should be light and airy and the exterior very flaky and crusty.
noAvatar
A nice imitation. However, the real deal has pate, not bologna.
Banh Mi (Vietnamese-Style Sandwich) 2 5 1 3

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