How To Make Banh Mi

During the World War I, French colonists brought a wealth of French recipes for Vietnamese residents to discover. Using European cold cuts, cheeses and bread, local Vietnamese chef came up with their own version of case-croute, crispy French bread filled with meat and cheese. Traditionally, the meats and cheese were set on a plate beside the bread for diners to construct themselves.

As war continued, the banh mi was shortened and European cold cuts got replaced with local veggies. As large restaurants become more heavily taxed, restauranteurs got rid of their tables and set themselves as food cart vendors instead. The meats, veggies, and spread were then prepared in the baguette for mor convenience. There born the Vietnamese baguette with pate we love today.

On our Flavors of Hanoi French Quarter tour, our travelers often ask us for a recipe to make Vietnamese banh mi at home. If you wish to try one at home yourself, use this recipe.

Ingredients

1 sweet baguette
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp canola oil
¼ lb ground pork
½ tbsp shallot
¼ tbsp garlic
½ tbsp fish sauce
¼ tbsp sugar
1 cup vinegar
¼ tsp pepper
½ tbsp honey
½ tsp sesame seeds
½ tsp oyster sauce
½ tsp salt
1 egg
½ tsp sugar
½ tbsp pepper
50 ml oil
1 cucumber
1 jalapeno pepper
1 small bunch of cilantro
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp five-spice powder
½ tbsp lemongrass
1 small carrot
1 small daikon

Steps

Position two racks on the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 375F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
Slice the baguette into ½ in thick pieces. Arrange them in one layer on the prepared baking sheets.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter in the oil. Add 1 pinch of salt. Brush onto the top side of each slice of bread. Bake for about 10 min, flip the bread, and bake for another 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Mince the ½ tbsp of shallot, ¼ tbsp of garlic, and ½ tbsp lemongrass (optional).
In a mixing bowl, season ¼ lb pork with minced shallot, garlic, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tbsp sugar and ½ tbsp honey. Add minced lemongrass and 1/3 tsp five-spice powder, ½ tsp oyster sauce, and ½ tbsp sesame seeds. Mix well and set aside.
Separate 1 egg to get the yolk. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and ½ tsp sugar. Then very slowly add cooking oil, just a few drops at a time. Continue whisking until think and creamy.
Slice carrot, daikon, jalapeno, and cucumber into thin strips. Toss carrot and daikon with some salt. Leave to sit for 15 minutes for veggies to dehydrate. Rinse a few times to get rid of salt. Toss with sugar and vinegar.
Scoop spoonful of the pork and grill both sides until cooked through. Spread thin layer of the mayo on the slice bread. Add some soy sauce. Add grilled pork, cucumber, carrot & daikon mix, pepper, and cilantro.