Pork Banh Mi

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork tenderloin

• 1 shallot

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 tbs sugar

• 1 tbs honey

• 2 tbs fish sauce

• 2 tsp sesame oil

• 2 tbs olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 4 medium carrots (1-1.5 cups matchsticks)

• 1 large daikon (1-1.5 cups matchsticks)

• 1 and 1/2 tbs sugar (to release water)

• 1 and 1/2 tbs salt (to release water)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 cup warm water

• 1 cup white vinegar

• oil, for searing pork

• 1 cup mayonnaise (japanese mayo is best)

• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

• 4-6 bolilo rolls, mini soft baguettes, or hoagie rolls (try our homemade hoagie roll recipe)

• Soy Sauce

• 1 English cucumbers, sliced into rounds

• 1 jalapenos, optional, sliced into rounds

• 1 bunches cilantro

Directions:

• Marinade the meat:

  • Begin by slicing the pork tenderloin very thin, about 1/8-1/4 in thick.

  • In a blender or food processor, add the shallot, garlic, sugar, honey, fish sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined. It's okay if there are chunks of onion or garlic.

  • Add the marinade and thinly sliced pork to a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.

• About an hour before you are ready to eat, make the picked veggies:

  • Chop the carrots and daikon into matchsticks.

  • Add the chopped veggies to a large bowl and sprinkle with 1.5 tbs salt and 1.5 tbs sugar. Use your hands to massage the sugar and salt into the veggies. We're doing this to get the carrots and daikon to release water, so that they will be flexible but still crunchy. After 15 minutes of sitting in the salt and sugar, you should be able to bend a carrot without it snapping.

  • Pour the veggies into a colander and rinse them under water until all the salt and sugar is washed off.

  • Rinse out the bowl and make the brine: combine 1/2 sugar and 1 cup water, and stir to dissolve. Add the vinegar and a few shakes of salt. Stir it all together.

  • Add the rinsed carrots and daikon to the vinegar mixture, make sure all the veggies are covered, and stick it in the fridge for 45 minutes.

• Spicy Mayo:

  • In a small bowl, combine 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 tbs Sriracha (more or less Sriracha to taste).

• Cook the pork:

  • When the pork has marinated, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan. Make sure it is shimmering.

  • Add the pork strips in batches. If you add it all at once, it will not brown. Make sure there is about an inch of space in between each piece of pork.

  • Sear the pork for about 1-2 minutes, then flip and sear for another minute or so.

  • Continue searing until all the pork is cooked. Add more oil as necessary. Set aside on a plate, or put it in the oven on a pan on the "keep warm" setting (170 degrees F) if you need additional time before making the sandwich.

• To assemble:

  • Slice a roll in half lengthwise keeping the bottom attached.

  • Warm the rolls in the oven for 4-5 minutes

  • Spread both sides with Sriracha mayo.

  • Top one side with pork, a few splashes of soy sauce, sliced cucumber, sliced jalapeno, lots of pickled carrots and daikon, and fistfuls of cilantro.

  • Top with the other half of the roll and eat!

  • Serve with more Sriracha mayo if you want.

Notes:

• Servings = 4

• Timing:

  • Marinade = 1-24 hours

  • Prep / Cooking Time = 1.25 hours

• Original Recipe:

  • https://thefoodcharlatan.com/banh-mi-sandwich/