Banh Mi with Lemongrass Pork and Pickled Vegetables

• 500 gpork mince (20% fat)
• 3lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, finely minced
• 4garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1small shallot, finely grated
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tbsplight soy sauce
• 2 tbspsoft light brown sugar
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspcoarse black pepper
• 1 tbspvegetable oil, for frying
• 150 gcarrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
• 200 gdaikon (mooli), cut into matchsticks
• 100 mlrice vinegar
• 100 mlwarm water
• 3 tbspcaster sugar
• 1 tspfine salt
• 1cucumber, halved lengthways and cut into long batons
• 1large bunch fresh coriander (leaves and tender stems)
• 1small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
• 1-2 red bird's eye chillies, thinly sliced
• 4spring onions, thinly sliced lengthways (optional) (optional)
• 4small Vietnamese-style baguettes (or 2 light French baguettes, halved)
• 4 tbspmayonnaise (Kewpie if you have it)
• 100 gsmooth chicken liver pâté (or extra mayo if preferred)
• 2 tbspsriracha
• 1 tbspMaggi seasoning or extra soy sauce, to splash
• 1lime, zest and juice

Method

1. 1Start the pickle first; it needs 30 minutes minimum and only gets better with time. Whisk the rice vinegar, warm water, caster sugar and fine salt in a bowl until the sugar has fully dissolved; taste it, it should hit sour-sweet-salty in equal measure. Add the carrot and daikon matchsticks, push them under the brine, and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days in the fridge). They're ready when they've gone limp and translucent; that's the raw bite gone and the sour-sweet flavour driven in.
2. 2Make the pork marinade. Combine the lemongrass, grated garlic, shallot, fish sauce, soy, brown sugar, vegetable oil and black pepper in a bowl. Add the pork mince and mix with your hands just until evenly combined; don't overwork it or the texture turns bouncy and tight. The fish sauce and soy carry most of the salt here, so trust the recipe and don't add more at this stage. Rest for at least 15 minutes while the pickle works, or cover and chill overnight for deeper flavour.
3. 3Set a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with half the tablespoon of frying oil. Add half the pork in a flat layer and leave for 2–3 minutes to brown underneath. Break it into small pieces and stir-fry for another 5–6 minutes, until cooked through and 75°C for 30 seconds in the thickest clumps. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining frying oil and pork.
4. 4Let the pork stand for a few minutes while you prepare the bread. To make it ahead, cool and refrigerate within 2 hours, then reheat until steaming hot throughout before assembling.
5. 5Drain the pickle thoroughly in a sieve and give it a gentle squeeze; wet pickle makes soggy bread, and soggy bread is the death of a banh mi.
6. 6Split the baguettes lengthways without cutting all the way through. If the bread is soft, warm it in a hot oven for 2–3 minutes to crisp the crust, then let it cool completely; warm bread steams the herbs and wilts them inside the wrap.
7. 7Mix the lime zest and juice into the mayonnaise. Build each sandwich in order: spread the lime mayonnaise generously on the top half and pâté on the bottom (the fat layer waterproofs the bread against the pickle juices). Lay in cucumber batons, then a heaped pile of pork, then a generous tangle of pickled carrot and daikon. Top with coriander, mint, sliced chilli and the optional spring onion if using. Splash a few drops of Maggi or soy across the herbs, zigzag with sriracha, and taste a loose bit of filling; adjust seasoning one final time before you close the lid.
8. 8Press the lid down firmly. Serve the banh mi immediately while the pork is warm, the pickle is sharp and the baguette still crackles.

Per serving

kcal

1028

protein

39.5g

fibre

8.2g

carbs

108.3g

fat

50.8g