Authentic Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich
Create Delicious Vietnamese Banh Mi at Home with Two Special Sauces!
Inspired by the popular 2016 drama ‘Chef Kang Hyo Shim’, we bring you a recipe to make authentic Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches right in your own kitchen. Remember those mouth-watering Banh Mi scenes from the show? Now, Vietnamese cuisine, including dishes like pho and cha gio, is a familiar delight. This recipe uses specially ordered Banh Mi baguettes, filled generously with fresh ingredients and two unique sauces, creating a flavorful and satisfying meal that’s surprisingly easy to enjoy!
Banh Mi Sandwich (Serves 4)- 1kg Pork Shoulder (or front leg)
- Fresh Cilantro (to taste)
- 1/2 Onion
- Crisp Lettuce
- 2-3 Ripe Tomatoes
- 1 Cucumber
- 4 Eggs
- 4 Banh Mi Baguettes
- Mayonnaise
Pork Marinade- 3 Tbsp Cooking Wine (Mirin or similar)
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
Pork Special Sauce- 100ml Apple Juice
- 3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Plum Extract
- 8-10 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 Tbsp Ginger Syrup
- 150ml Water
- 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- Pinch of Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1/3 Tbsp Sugar
Sweet & Sour Pickled Radish & Carrot- 1/5 Daikon Radish
- 1/2 Carrot
- 300ml Vinegar
- 100ml Water
- 2/3 cup Sugar (approx. 100g)
- 1 tsp Salt
Spicy Chili Sauce- 5 Tbsp Chili Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 Korean Green Chili (finely minced)
- 0.5 Tbsp Minced Garlic
Creamy Sriracha Mayo Sauce- 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce
- Pinch of Dried Basil (or fresh chopped basil)
- 1/3 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 3 Tbsp Cooking Wine (Mirin or similar)
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
Pork Special Sauce- 100ml Apple Juice
- 3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Plum Extract
- 8-10 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 Tbsp Ginger Syrup
- 150ml Water
- 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- Pinch of Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1/3 Tbsp Sugar
Sweet & Sour Pickled Radish & Carrot- 1/5 Daikon Radish
- 1/2 Carrot
- 300ml Vinegar
- 100ml Water
- 2/3 cup Sugar (approx. 100g)
- 1 tsp Salt
Spicy Chili Sauce- 5 Tbsp Chili Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 Korean Green Chili (finely minced)
- 0.5 Tbsp Minced Garlic
Creamy Sriracha Mayo Sauce- 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce
- Pinch of Dried Basil (or fresh chopped basil)
- 1/3 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/5 Daikon Radish
- 1/2 Carrot
- 300ml Vinegar
- 100ml Water
- 2/3 cup Sugar (approx. 100g)
- 1 tsp Salt
Spicy Chili Sauce- 5 Tbsp Chili Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 Korean Green Chili (finely minced)
- 0.5 Tbsp Minced Garlic
Creamy Sriracha Mayo Sauce- 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce
- Pinch of Dried Basil (or fresh chopped basil)
- 1/3 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce
- Pinch of Dried Basil (or fresh chopped basil)
- 1/3 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Cut the pork shoulder into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the cooking wine, sugar, and black pepper. Mix well by hand to remove any gamey odor and to marinate. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Step 2
Now, let’s make the special sauce for the Banh Mi! In a blender, combine the whole garlic cloves, ginger syrup, and half an onion. Blend until smooth. Then, add the apple juice, fish sauce, plum extract, water, soy sauce, black pepper, sesame oil, and sugar. Mix everything well. Taste it – it should be a delightful balance of sweet and savory with a pleasant aroma and complex flavor.
Step 3
Pour the prepared sauce over the marinated pork and mix thoroughly to ensure the sauce coats the meat evenly. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour for even more tender and flavorful pork.
Step 4
Next, prepare the pickled radish and carrot for that refreshing tang in your Banh Mi. Thinly julienne about 1/5 of a daikon radish into approximately 0.5 cm thick strips. If they’re too thick, they might take longer to pickle.
Step 5
Julienne the carrot to a similar thickness. Carrots add a beautiful color and delightful crunch. It’s a good idea to make extra pickled vegetables, as they are delicious served alongside grilled meats or in salads.
Step 6
In a bowl, combine the julienned radish and carrot. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Stir well until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let the vegetables pickle for at least 2-3 hours. These pickled veggies will be crisp, sweet, and sour – incredibly tasty on their own!
Step 7
Now, let’s make the two distinct sauces for your Banh Mi! For the first sauce, finely mince one Korean green chili (removing the seeds if you prefer less heat). Add the minced chili and minced garlic to the chili sauce and fish sauce. Mix well until combined. This is your spicy chili sauce, ready to go!
Step 8
The second sauce is a creamy and flavorful Sriracha Mayo. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, dried basil (or finely chopped fresh basil), sugar, and lemon juice. Mix everything thoroughly for a delicious creamy condiment.
Step 9
And there you have it – two unique and delicious sauces ready to elevate your Banh Mi! I wonder which one you’ll prefer?
Step 10
Prepare the fresh vegetables for the sandwich. Thinly slice the onion. If you find raw onion too strong, you can soak the slices in cold water for about 10 minutes and then drain them to reduce the pungency.
Step 11
Slice the tomatoes to a thickness suitable for a sandwich. I prefer slightly thinner slices when I have many other fillings.
Step 12
Place the sliced tomatoes on a paper towel and gently press to remove excess moisture. This prevents the bread from becoming soggy.
Step 13
Thinly slice the cucumber and, like the tomatoes, pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess water. This keeps the crunch intact.
Step 14
Wash the lettuce leaves under running water and shake off any excess water. Cilantro has a strong flavor, so adjust the amount to your preference. However, cilantro is a key ingredient that truly defines Banh Mi! Even if you’re not typically a fan of cilantro’s strong aroma, try adding it to your Banh Mi. It harmonizes beautifully with the other ingredients, adding a unique and wonderful dimension to the sandwich. Give it a try!
Step 15
Banh Mi baguettes have a distinct texture and shape compared to regular baguettes. If you can’t find them locally, they are often available for order online. Many excellent frozen options are readily available these days.
Step 16
Heat a pan over medium heat and cook the marinated pork on both sides until nicely browned and cooked through. Be careful not to burn the sauce.
Step 17
The smoky flavor is crucial for the pork in Banh Mi! While grilling over charcoal is ideal, you can achieve a similar effect at home by lightly torching the surface of the cooked pork with a kitchen torch. This adds a wonderful smoky aroma and taste!
Step 18
Using a serrated knife, carefully slice the Banh Mi baguette lengthwise, but not all the way through at the ends initially. This helps keep the fillings contained. However, with generous fillings, the bread might open up naturally. Since you’ll be wrapping it in parchment paper anyway, cutting it completely in half is also perfectly fine.
Step 19
Lightly toast the inside of the Banh Mi baguette in a dry pan over medium-low heat until it’s warm and slightly crisp. This enhances the overall flavor and texture of the sandwich.
Step 20
Traditionally, Banh Mi includes a spread made from chicken liver pâté, but you can omit this if it’s hard to find. Generously spread the chili sauce on the toasted baguette. Layer with crisp lettuce, then a drizzle of mayonnaise. Add the cucumber, onion slices, and tomato. Top with a small handful of the pickled radish and carrot (make sure to squeeze out excess liquid). Arrange the smoky pork generously over the vegetables. Finally, add a few sprigs of cilantro if desired. Spread the Sriracha mayo sauce on the top half of the baguette, close the sandwich, and your delicious, fully-loaded Banh Mi is complete!
Step 21
Behold this stunning Banh Mi sandwich, packed with a symphony of flavors and textures! This homemade taste is truly unforgettable!
