Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Vietnamese Grilled Pork Banh Mi
越式烤豬肉法包
Recipe overview
Thin pork slices receive a short marinade before grilling, then fill baguettes with quick pickles and herbs. The 20-minute preparation includes 10 minutes of marinating for this home shortcut.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g Pork shoulder
- 4 x 100 g Small baguettes
- 100 g Carrot
- 100 g Daikon
- 150 g Cucumber
- 15 g Coriander
- 10 g Minced garlic
- 15 g Tender lemongrass core
Pork marinade
- 15 ml Fish sauce
- 8 g Sugar (For marinating pork)
- 10 ml Light soy sauce
Sauce seasoning
- 50 ml Rice vinegar
- 15 g Sugar (For quick pickles)
- 2 g Salt
- 30 ml Drinking water
Cooking oil
- 10 ml Neutral oil
Finishing seasoning
- 40 g Mayonnaise made with pasteurised egg
02
Tools
- Grill pan and tongs
- Board and knife
- Two bowls
- Oven and food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Slice pork
Cut pork across the grain into 3 mm slices; finely mince lemongrass and place in a bowl with garlic.
Step 2
Marinate 10 minutes
Mix in fish sauce, 8 g sugar, soy sauce and pork; refrigerate 10 minutes while preparing vegetables.
Step 3
Cut vegetables
Wash and dry vegetables; julienne carrot and daikon to 2 mm, slice cucumber lengthways and cut coriander sprigs.
Step 4
Quick-pickle vegetables
Dissolve 15 g sugar and salt in vinegar and 30 ml water; soak carrot and daikon 10 minutes alongside the pork marinating.
Step 5
Preheat
Preheat oven to 180°C; heat grill pan over medium-high for about 2 minutes and brush with oil.
Step 6
Drain and batch
Lift pork from excess marinade and arrange in one layer in two batches; discard raw marinade.
Step 7
Grill pork
Grill each batch about 2 minutes per side until browned; lower heat if darkening too quickly.
Step 8
Check and rest
The thickest pork must reach 75°C; transfer to a clean plate, cover loosely and rest 3 minutes.
Step 9
Crisp bread
While pork rests, split baguettes without cutting through and warm in the oven for 2 minutes.
Step 10
Drain pickles
Drain pickles and press lightly; spread 10 g mayonnaise inside each baguette.
Step 11
Fill sandwiches
Divide pork, pickles, cucumber and coriander among the four baguettes.
Step 12
Serve crisp
Close gently and serve immediately; refrigerate leftover filling separately from bread to prevent sogginess.
Common mistakes
- Uneven slices cook unevenly; cut to 3 mm.
- Pouring marinade into the pan steams pork; drain excess.
- Undrained pickles soak bread; drain before assembly.
- Sugar burns readily; a dark surface does not prove doneness.
Tips
Run the 10-minute marinade and quick pickle together; no overnight step is needed. Use only tender pale lemongrass and mince finely to avoid fibres. Keep raw and cooked meat tongs separate. Keep one side of each baguette joined so it holds the filling more securely. Assemble the baguettes with clean cooked-food tongs after the pork is plated.
