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Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fish sauce (preferably Phu Quoc brand)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 pound pork butt, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices as long as the butt is wide
2 cups water
2 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pound carrots, julienned using a mandoline
1/2 pound daikon, julienned using a mandoline
8 banh mi rolls or mini baguettes
1/4 cup Kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
Handful fresh cilantro leaves
24 sliced rounds English (hothouse) cucumber
2 jalapeños, stemmed and sliced crosswise

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, lemongrass, canola oil, pepper, and lime juice in a bowl and whisk to blend. Pour the marinade over the pork butt slices in a large resealable bag and seal, or combine the pork and marinade in a nonreactive baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

    Step 2

    Combine the water and vinegar in a large mixing bowl and pour in the sugar, whisking to dissolve. Add the carrots and daikon, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

    Step 3

    Prepare a grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Grill the pork until it is just pink in the center, with an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove from the grill and cut each of the slices again into small bite-size pieces.

    Step 4

    Toss the rolls on the grill for just a minute to toast and then slather each with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mayo. Add a portion of the grilled pork, a few cilantro leaves, a portion of cucumber and jalapeño slices, and some of the pickled carrot and daikon mixture. Serve.

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