Vietnamese banh mi is a sandwich that's constantly being reinvented and reinterpreted. For example, at David Chang's acclaimed Momofuku Ssam Bar in Manhattan, there's a version that sells for $9. The bread was a bit too crusty hard for me, the pickles rather flaccid, and the three-meat terrine was unfortunately nondescript that evening. Nevertheless, I appreciated his interpretation as a sign that Vietnamese food is part of the current gourmet hipster food culture. Chang has a Viet-American chef among his staff to boot, which perhaps explains Momofuku's roasted Brussel sprouts tossed with nuoc mam fish sauce -- an addictive salty-sweet-spicy-pungent treat. (Note: When I used the Gourmet recipe (linked above), my cooking time was half of their estimate. The oven is hot so keep an eye on the Brussel sprouts or they'll be toast.)
Sunset Magazine's November issue included a post-Thanksgiving version of banh mi that was essentially a spicy turkey and cabbage salad stuffed into a toasted roll. Their Vietnamese-style turkey subs called for chili garlic sauce (tuong ot toi) and no mayonnaise to soften the blow so watch out for the heat and vinegar blast!
If you've eaten banh mi these days -- either in Vietnam or abroad - there's a meatball version called banh mi xiu mai. Check Noodlepie's page on banh mi in Vietnam and you'll see that there are many fans of that version. I'm not one of them, and have never made one myself, though there's a xiu mai recipe that you may want to try it out!
Regardless, why deny people who love the Vietnamese-Chinese-Italian blending. Blake Killian at the Serious Eats website, recently posted on a banh mi sao [sic] mai that competed in the New Orleans Po' Boy Preservation Festival for best po' boy.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a link to Brigitte Nguyen's $2,000 Vietnamese pork burger, which was a Vietnamese sandwich in a bun. Inspired by Brigitte, Chuck created and posted a spectacular looking Vietnamese pulled pork recipe on his Sunday Nite Dinner blog. He topped a burger bun with the tasty-looking pork.
Now how about putting that pulled pork in a baguette or bolillo roll with all the usual banh mi suspects. Here's what you'll need and how to do it:
- nice light baguette, split, toasted and insides gutted
- whole egg mayonnaise (don't skimp on the fat), smear the inside of the toasted baguette with mayo
- soy sauce or Maggi Seasoning sauce, give the bread a shot of the brown condiment of choice for savory depth
Then add the meat and tuck in the following:
- daikon and carrot pickle (do chua)
- cucumber strips (seeds removed)
- cilantro sprigs
- thinly sliced jalapeno (resist chili garlic sauce because it overwhelms)
Cut it in half and eat. Delish. For more details, check the banh mi recipe page.
If you have banh mi inventions of your own, let us know!
Chuck says
The pulled pork would definitely be good in banh mi... next time! I just need to find a good source for Vietnamese style baguettes.
Andrea Nguyen says
Well, you can try making the bread yourself. I just added a link in the posting to the baguette recipe on this blog, which you'll find at:
http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2007/05/vietnamese_bagu.html
steamykitchen says
working on a pulled pork recipe that includes fish sauce, orange, star anise. the slow cooked pulled pork will end up in a banh mi. tastes delicious but needs just a little more testing and tweaking.
chip says
Thanks for this rundown, Andrea. Earlier this year, we experimented with some banh mi-ish variations. Here's a recipe for an anise pork sandwich:
http://cookthink.com/recipe/5286/Anise_Pork_Sandwich_With_Carrots_And_Cilantro
Daikon would sit well on it, too.
Andrea Nguyen says
For banh mi, you need a lot of flavor in whatever meat you put in there. The pulled pork, Jaden, may need just a light sprinkling of salt to make it pop.
Chip's recipe posted at Cookthink.com has you sear a pork loin so the meat has a flavorful outer crust. Nice work, guys.
Nate says
I like banh mi but really can't take it on a baguette like the normal ones you get at Lee's sandwiches - the bread is just too chewy for me. I prefer a big buttery croissant instead. Sonny's Cafe on Cottle Rd is near my workplace so whenever I go there I get one of their steamed pork sandwiches on a croissant. It is great.
Simon Bao says
Andrea, about the vegetable "tuck ins" added to a Banh Mi... When the sandwiches are going to be eaten right away, I like to tuck in watercress, and lots of it. The fresh peppery flavor goes well with any of the meat fillings that might be used. If no watercress is on hand, arugula works too. Not a common practice, but one worth trying, it's really good, but it doesn't have the same nice textures that watercress does.
Andrea Nguyen says
Croissants and watercress -- you guys really like to doll up the old banh mi. What's next? A brioche roll? Just kidding, those are both superb ideas.
Nate, Lee's Sandwiches has not impressed me with their terrible rendition of baguette. The bread for banh mi isn't the star. It merely encases all the goodies and shouldn't challenge much. A light crunch is all you need. Trader Joe's sells an Il Fornaio regular baguette that's nice for banh mi.
Simon, do you add the cress instead of all the other s
Andrea Nguyen says
Amy Sherman over at Epicurious.com recently did an Epi Log banh mi round-up too and pointed to an interesting Hanoi rendition called Banh My [sic] Doner Kebab that was reported on the Last Appetite blog. My friends, the bread looks like pita.
Amy's round-up:
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2007/12/vietnamese-eats.html
Banh My [sic] Doner Kebab
http://www.lastappetite.com/banh-my-doner-kebab/
Simon Bao says
Andrea, I heard somewhere about those Doner Kebabs. Misspelled, but named after the famous Donner Party, I was told.
With the watercress or arugula in Banh Mi, I sometimes omit the cucumber and get the green crunch from the leaves instead. That's not suitable for a Banh Mi that's going to be wrapped, toted around, eaten much later - but if they're being eaten as they're made, then either leaf works very well.
I am pretty conventional with Banh Mi, except with respect to the meats. I have fill
Andrea Nguyen says
Ohhhhh noooo, Donner Kebabs would be awful. What a cruel joke. Those of you who are unfamiliar with the Donner Party, they were a bunch of American settlers who were heading for California when they hit a terrible snow storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains. In desperation, they resorted to cannibalism.
Vietnamese people love double entendres, and Simon, you're quite good at that, aren't you.
In all seriousness, doner kepap is Turkish roasted meat cooked on an upright turning spit that's sliced of
Annie says
Hi Andrea, Do you know what kind of pate they use on Vietnamese sandwiches? I've tried a few kinds and they never make the sandwiches taste like the ones I've bought. Maybe there is a recipe where I can make my own. Thanks for any advice you can give!
Andrea Nguyen says
Hi Annie,
It's usually a pork liver pate with lots of garlic and Chinese 5-spice. Don't skimp on the fat. If you have a copy of "Into the Vietnamese Kitchen" (Ten Speed Press, 2006), the recipe is in the charcuterie chapter. You could try liverwurst but that's kind of off, huh?
Warren says
thank you for this! i moved outside of san jose ca where i was raised, and have been craving me a decent banh mi.. i guess i'll have to make my own!
Maria says
Here in Philadelphia, we call them Vietnamese hoagies!
Olivia says
The Vietnamese subs I had before had really hard pickled carrots. Are your pickled carrots soft? I like them soft.
Andrea Nguyen says
Olivia, these are soft -- the test is in the bending of the carrot and daikon. That was a bad experience you had. Sorry!
Trâm says
Dear sis,
There is "bánh mì bì" (bread with pork skin) which is very delicious and helpful for persons on diet ! Do you know or remember ?
Andrea Nguyen says
Tram, I don't know if banh mi with crunchy boiled pork skin is helpful for people on diets. All you do is get some finely shredded poached pork skin (no fat, just the skin) and toss it with some ground toasted rice (thinh). Then use that to stuff your sandwich. The vegetarian version is to use cellophane/glass noodles (mien).
folliculitis says
A recipe that will make you look like a real expert and to prepare in a short tiempo.Una excellent recipe to surprise your mom in her day. Also tips for breakfast, dessert and dinner.
Valerie says
I am vegetarian and have never had a banh mi with meat. I was introduced to them in Vietnam. Instead of butter, an avocado butter was used*. In place of meat was fried tofu. Daikon and carrot pickles, and the obligatory pieces of hot pepper and cilantro top it off. Yummmmmm!
*Mashed avocado, with lemon juice and salt.
parrish rhodes says
I couldnt get to the store for a suitable roll, so I heated up a tortilla and used that instead - not as good as the real thing, perhaps, but very tasty, indeed, and a heck of a lot better than not being able to have a sandwich at all!! Crumbs, I really have taken to the banh mi! Thanks for all your interesting recipes and comments from others.
Mr. Cooking Grill says
it's already gorgeous looking!! Love your work (and research), you're a true food writer whom I absolutely look up to. 🙂
Nickle says
Great Recipe! it really is and must be appreciated by all! 🙂
Mike says
I thought that in the Asian culture they eat more rice then bread? I think that in North America we eat to much grains and that is why were struggling with health problems.
Liz Smith says
Hi Andrea,
I opened a small restaurant in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada that specializes in Banh Mi. I had fallen in love with Banh Mi while living in Western Canada, where they are very popular. The sandwiches are new to most people in Halifax, but we have a loyal and growing customer following.
Because many of my friends and family members are vegetarian, I wanted to include several vegetarian Banh Mi options on our menu. We have a marinated organic tofu, a veggie ball and a bean and lentil pat
תוצאות לוטו says
this looks yaaammeee!