Vietnamese Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches

Highly adapted from The Food Network

I’ve been seeing Pork Banh Mi sandwiches all over the foodisphere lately … and wondering just what is so wonderful about these sandwiches?

So when I found myself with a big ol’ hunk of pork and a big event coming up that I was doing the food for, I decided it was time to see what all the fuss is about.  I looked through loads of recipes online before I decided on this one from The Food Network to pattern my sandwich after. I knew for a fact my sandwich was not going to be anything like theirs (because, first of all, I made pulled pork, while they used ground pork), but I liked all the different tastes and textures going on in their recipe.

I have to say this sandwich is worth its weight in gold. Even though there is absolutely no cheese on this sandwich (which honestly kinda turned me off … ’cause what’s a sandwich without cheese?) … it is so full of good sweet/salty/saucy Asian flavors and that intoxicating bit of crunch from the peanuts, with fresh cilantro and pickled Asian veggies that I loved every bite of my gargantuan Pork Banh Mi Sandwich.  (Although I should have made it about half this size because it was WAY too big for my little tummy!) I served them at the event this week too … and once word “leaked out” (that is, I sold one of these sandwiches), the rumor spread and suddenly we had lots of orders for this “hidden” sandwich. I had none of the Pork Banh Mi mixture left at the end of the evening  … and I had to send my dad out on a “bun run” because we ran out of buns.

FYI: my pickled veggies were pink because I used red radishes instead of the white Daikon radishes … I get now why they prefer the white radishes, but there is not such a thing to be had in the stores in my neck of the woods in middle America. Use white if you got ’em, otherwise, peel your red radishes if you don’t want your pickled veggies to be pink.

Vietnamese Banh Mi Pork Sandwiches

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: Lots!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the shredded pork:

• A 2 – 3 lb. pork shoulder roast
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• About 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin

For the pickled veggies:

• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons pickling salt
• 2 cups julienned daikon (or regular) radish
• 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
• 1/4 of an onion, sliced very thin
• 1 English cucumber, cut into slices and then chopped to make half-moon shapes

To sauce the pork:

• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled & chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the pork
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons fish sauce

For the sandwich:

• 6 –8 large hoagie buns
• Sriracha mayonnaise or Japanese Yum Yum sauce (recipe here)
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Chopped roasted peanuts

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line the bottom of a rimmed roasting pan with aluminum foil and set the pork on the foil. Rub it all over with hoisin sauce, making sure to end with the fatty side of the pork up. Top the pork with onions and garlic.
2. Use another sheet of foil to cover the top of the pork and fold/pinch the sides together so the pork is sealed in aluminum foil. Set the pork in the oven and bake for 45 minutes per pound. Remove the pork from the oven and let sit 30 – 60 minutes without opening the foil.
3. While the pork is cooking, make the pickled veggies. Mix the veggies together and pack them tightly into a jar (or two). Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt over medium high heat until boiling. Pour the boiling water over the veggies. Cover and let sit for at least an hour.
4. Once the pork is done and has rested, take the onions from the top of the pork and chop them up. Then use two forks to shred the pork, removing any fatty tissue as you go.
5. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and swirl to coat, then stir in the chopped onions and cook for 4 – 6 minutes or until the onion is very soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and carrots and cook a couple more minutes. Stir in the cooking liquid, hoisin sauce and fish sauce, then stir in the shredded pork, coating it in the sauce. Stir in the reserved onions as well.
6. To make the sandwich: Toast the hoagie buns if desired, then spread both sides with sriracha mayo or Japanese Yum Yum sauce. Add a generous serving of the pork and top with the pickled veggies (drained), a sprinkle of cilantro and a sprinkle of chopped roasted peanuts. Enjoy!

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Foodie FriDIY, What to Do Weekends, Clever Chicks Bloghop and Let’s Get Real.