I am having a VERY difficult time containing my excitement for these Pork Banh Mi sandwiches. Vietnamese food is one of my all-time favorite cuisines and the primary reason behind my passion is the Banh Mi {not to mention pho and the vermicelli bun salads}. There are so many wonderful elements that make up a Banh Mi. It is difficult to choose the best part of these sandwiches but for me, it would be the baguette. I am lucky enough to live near a French bakery that actually sources baguettes for some of the local Vietnamese restaurants and Asian markets. The right baguette should be light and airy and just firm enough to frame the sandwich. Beyond the baguette, a traditional Banh Mi should have a bit of a bite from the jalapeno slices and a tangy crunch from the pickled carrots and daikon. I’m telling you, there are SO many aspects that make these sandwiches amazing, it’s hard to choose a favorite!
These sandwiches may appear intimidating but I was pleasantly surprised how easily they came together. Yes, there is a decent amount of chopping needed for this recipe but after you take just one bite of these babies, it will have all been worth it. First, I start by prepping the pickled carrots and daikon by slicing into thin strips and whisking together the rice wine vinegar mixture. Once everything is combined, the veggies only need to sit for 30-45 minutes.
Then I move onto the pork. After the tenderloin is sliced into 1/2 inch medallions we need to flatten each piece. Not only will this help tenderize {which is key as we want to be able to bite through the sandwich without gnawing away at the pork} but it will also help the meat cook more evenly. Once the pork is ready, mix the remaining marinade ingredients together and combine. Ideally, this should marinade for 2 hours but when I’m short on time {aka too hungry to wait} I will let this sit for 20-30 minutes and it’s still delicious.
Now for the final steps! We want to grill these medallions on medium-high for 2-3 minutes on each side. Keep a close eye on these as we definitely DO NOT want them to over cook. After grilling, cover the pork and let rest for 5-10 minutes to help lock in the juices. While the pork is resting, slice the baguettes and dress each side with a big ol’ tablespoon of mayonnaise. I usually let everyone build their own sandwich but I always recommend starting with the cucumber on the bottom and finishing with lots of cilantro!
| Prep Time | 1 hour |
| Servings |
people
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- 3/4 cup carrots thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup daikon radish thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp lime
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 french baguettes
- 1 english cucumber
- 1 jalapeno
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Ingredients
Pickled Carrots and Daikon
Pork
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- In a medium bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir together until sugar has disolved then add the thinly sliced carrots and daikon. Set aside.
- Slice the pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch medallions and place each medallion between two sheets of plastic wrap. With a rolling pin or heavy bottomed skillet, flatten each medallion to 1/4 inch thickness. In a small bowl mix together the remaining pork ingredients then add the pork. Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- While the pork is marinating, prep the remaining Banh Mi ingredients. Slice the cucumbers into matchsticks, finely slice the jalapeno into rounds, and pull 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves from their stems.
- Heat your grill or griddle pan to medium-high heat. Grill the pork medallions for 2-3 minutes on each side, careful not to over cook. Once each piece is off the grill, cover the pork with aluminum foil and allow the pork to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice the bagguettes and dress each side with 1 Tbsp of mayonaisse. Layer each sandwich with cucumbers, pork, pickled veggies, jalapenos and cilantro. Serve while pork is still warm.
