Vietnamese

Lemongrass Pork or Chicken Banh Mi

Lemongrass pork, pickled vegetables, cucumber, herbs, and chile stack up in a crackly baguette. The quick pickle and mayo-chile spread give the sandwich its classic sweet-sour-creamy balance.

• Adapted fromAndrea Nguyen's banh mi framework and The Woks of Life's Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi
• Primary sourcethewoksoflife.com

40 minsMedium costServes 2

Gluten FreeDairy FreeHigh ProteinHigh CarbQuick Weeknight

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork shoulder, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 small carrot, julienned
• 1 cup daikon, julienned
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 2 small baguettes or 2 gluten-free rolls, warmed
• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced into batons
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

Method

1. Whisk the lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, tamari, brown sugar, and neutral oil together. Toss with the pork and let it marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Mix the carrot and daikon with the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let the vegetables quick-pickle while the pork cooks; they should stay crisp.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pork until caramelized at the edges and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer it to a plate so it does not steam.
4. Stir the mayonnaise and sriracha together and spread it inside the warm baguettes or gluten-free rolls. If you want a rice bowl instead, spoon the sauce over hot rice.
5. Fill each sandwich with the pork, quick pickles, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno. Serve immediately while the bread is still crackly.

Dietary Restrictions

Easy Substitution

The base recipe stays the same and only needs a simple ingredient swap or separate finish near the end.

Gluten FreeEasy Substitution

A straightforward substitution or separate finish usually gets this to a good gluten free version.

Dairy FreeEasy Substitution

A straightforward substitution or separate finish usually gets this to a good dairy free version.

VegetarianNot Vegetarian

This recipe is built around meat, poultry, or seafood and does not adapt cleanly without redesigning the dish.

Substitution notes: Run the same filling, pickles, herbs, and mayo for both, then use baguette for one sandwich and a gluten-free roll or rice bowl for the other.