Pulled Pork Banh Mi

Last night, I had Seaniella over for dinner to celebrate Daniella's birthday. I'd been craving a banh mi (a.k.a. amazing Vietnamese sandwich), but my Vietnamese restaurant plans kept falling through (curse the unpredictable schedules of law school folk!) So I decided to attempt a banh mi on my own. And holy crap, was I pleased with the result. Daniella had never had a banh mi before, but when she bit into the sandwich, her reaction was: "Where has this been all my life?" That praise was probably more directed at the amazingness of banh mi sandwiches in general, but I'd like to think a small part of it was this recipe. It's an amalgamation of three different recipes I found online and in magazines, so I'm going to call it a "Britta Original." Sort of. Anyway, it may seem like a lot of work, but it's well worth it. Be careful, it's a wee bit spicy!


To Assemble Sandwich: Bread + Mayo + Cucumber + Meat + Pickled Veggies + Cilantro + Jalapeño

Serve with Cool Spicy Cucumbers with Peanuts & Lime. Delicious, primarily because I heart peanuts. The recipe can be found here: http://familystylefood.com/2011/06/cool-spicy-cucumbers-with-peanuts-lime/

Misc. Ingredients
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise (1/4” inch on mandoline)
• 10 large cilantro sprigs
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
• 4 (8-inch) baguettes, split and grilled
NOTE: I used bolillo rolls (1 per person). I cut them in half, placed them cut-side down on a baking sheet, and baked them at 350° for 10 minutes in the lower third of the oven to make them toasty!

Meat
• 2/3 cup Asian fish sauce
• 1 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced (*if necessary, substitute 4 red jalapenos)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into chunks if necessary to fit in slow cooker
In the bowl of the slow cooker, whisk the fish sauce with the lime juice, sugar, garlic, Thai chiles, and salt. Add the pork, tossing to coat. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker. Shred pork using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker and toss with sauce. When serving, use tongs or a slotted spoon to avoid having a super soggy sandwich.

Mayo
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
Combine all ingredients. Chill for a few hours to let the flavors marry.

Pickled Veggies
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• 3 large carrots, julienned (*or a bag of matchstick carrots)
• 1/4 pound daikon radish, julienned (*if necessary, substitute red radish, sliced 1/8” thick on mandoline)
In a small saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper to a boil. Transfer the brine to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add the carrots and daikon and cover to keep them submerged. Refrigerate the vegetables for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. Watch out - these pickled veggies are addictive!