Vietnamese Grilled Pork Banh Mi Recipes

Steps:

• For the pickled carrots: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, and salt until dissolved. Add the carrots, toss to coat and allow to pickle for about 2 hours. For the pork: Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, garam masala, black pepper, garlic and shallots in a re-sealable plastic bag. Seal and shake until well dissolved. Add the pork to the bag, massage the marinade into the pork and marinate for 1 hour. When you're ready to cook the pork, grab a large cast-iron skillet. Place the pan over high heat until it is smoking. Using a pair of tongs, pull each pork chop out of the marinade, shake off the excess and place it in the pan. Don't crowd the pan - no meat should be touching! You want the meat to sear, not steam. After about 2 minutes, flip each chop; it should be a caramel brown color. Cook another minute on the other side and remove from the pan. If you're cooking in batches, cook the remaining chops. Slice the chops into thin strips. For the sandwiches: Warm the tortillas up over an open flame so they become soft and pliable. I also like to char them a little! If you don't have a gas stove, warm them in a pan over medium heat, or pop them in a microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Smear a little mayo down the middle of the tortilla. Then, pile a little layer of pickled carrots, some cucumber slices, a few sprigs of cilantro, some mint leaves, pork chop strips, a few slices of chiles a and squeeze of fresh lime juice over the top. Wrap, and secure with toothpick. Wrap in parchment paper if you're taking them to the beach, or just eat right away if you're not!;
• Add the green cardamom seeds, cloves, black cardamom seeds and cinnamon sticks to a spice/coffee grinder and grind until fine. Store in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.

Steps:

• Make the pickled vegetables: Set a large colander in a large bowl. Add the carrots and daikon to the colander. Toss with the salt, then add just enough water to cover the vegetables, about 6 cups (1.4 L). Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Lift the colander out of the soaking liquid, then rinse the vegetables well. Shake the colander a few times to allow any excess water to drain away. Let the vegetables sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to dry out a bit.
• Add the sugar and vinegar to the bowl with the vegetables. Season to taste with more salt, if needed. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
• Make the lemongrass pork: Trim the bottoms and green tops from the lemongrass stalks. Slice the light parts in half lengthwise, then remove any tough outer layers. Mince and transfer to a medium bowl.
• Finely chop the onion and add to the bowl with the lemongrass.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, wine, and pepper.
• Add the sliced pork butt to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.
• Heat the canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and lemongrass and cook until the onion is tender and beginning to brown, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, remove the pork from the marinade, letting any excess liquid to drip off, then grill the pork until lightly charred on both sides and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add the lemongrass and onion mixture and stir to combine.
• To assemble, slice the toasted French rolls in half lengthwise almost all the way through, leaving a long end intact. Slather the bottom of the rolls with a generous amount of mayonnaise, then spread on a layer of pâté. Top with the pork mixture, cucumber, sliced onion, jalapeño, the pickled vegetables, and cilantro.
• Close the sandwiches and serve.
• Enjoy!