Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi

Difficulty:

1/5

Yield: 4- 6 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Grilled pork:

2 stalks lemongrass, white core thinly sliced, plus 2 stalks to use as skewers
½ small yellow onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 inch (2 cm) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 red Thai chili, seeded and chopped
3 scallions, whites only, chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) honey
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce
1 pound (454 g) boneless pork butt, sliced thin
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, for grilling

Banh Mi:

1 cup (240 ml) shredded carrots
1 cup (240 ml) shredded daikon
1 cup (240 ml) white vinegar
½ cup (120 ml) water
4 tablespoons (60 ml) sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt
Baguette, sliced into 4-inch (10 cm) sections and cut as an opened sandwich
8 tablespoons (90 ml) Asian mayonnaise
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Maggi seasoning sauce
Grilled Pork

Garnish:

Cilantro leaves, sliced chives, sliced red hot peppers

Method:

For the Grilled Pork:

In a food processor, combine the sliced lemongrass, onion, garlic, ginger, chili, scallions, honey, fish sauce, and dark and light soy sauce. Purée to a smooth paste.

Rub the paste into the pork, cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Trim the 2 extra lemongrass stalks, cutting off tender parts and sharpening the ends. Thread the marinated pork onto the stalks.

Brush the skewers with oil and place onto the grill. Cook them 2-3 minutes per each of the 4 sides, flipping often, until fully cooked.

Remove from grill and let rest, loosely covered, for 5-8 minutes.

For the Banh Mi:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the sugar, salt, and vinegar slightly, just to dissolve. Cool the mixture, then combine with the carrots and daikon. Let rest.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Maggi sauce and stir until uniform in colour and texture.