Pork meatball banh mi
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Flavorful pork meatballs make a delicious Vietnamese banh mi sandwich.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
Pickled vegetables
  • 1 medium daikon
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. plus ½ cup sugar
  • 1¼ cups distilled white vinegar
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
Hot Chili Mayo
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
Meatballs
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Thai basil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Sandwiches:
  • 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
  • 4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)
  • 16 large fresh cilantro sprigs
Instructions
Pickled vegetables
  1. To make the pickle, peel and cut the daikon and carrot into sticks about 3 inches long and ¼ inch thick. Put in a bowl and toss with the salt and 2 tsp. sugar. Massage the salt and sugar into the vegetables for about 3 minutes or until you can bend a piece of daikon and the tips touch without breaking. Flush with running water and drain. Transfer to a quart jar.
  2. For the brine, stir together the ½ cup sugar with the vinegar and water until dissolved. Pour into the jar to cover. Discard any extra brine that won't fit in the jar. Refrigerate for one hour and store up to one month.
Hot Chili Mayo
  1. Stir mayonnaise and sriracha together in small bowl. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Meatballs
  1. Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Sandwiches
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.
  2. Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Spread hot chili mayo over each. Arrange cilantro in bottom halves. Fill each with ¼ of meatballs. Top with some of the pickled vegetables. Press on baguette tops.
Recipe by white plate blank slate at https://whiteplateblankslate.com/pork-meatball-banh-mi/