Make-Ahead Lemongrass Pork Bahn Mi

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Prep Time:
35 mins
Roast Time:
50 mins
Stand Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
4 sandwiches per portion (16 total)

Ingredients

  • 4 pound boneless pork top loin roast (single loin)

  • 2 stalks fresh lemongrass

  • 1 cup Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry

  • ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

  • ½ cup coarsely chopped white onion

  • cup chopped green onions

  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar

  • 8 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 recipe Vietnamese Quick Pickle

Sandwiches

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 1 ½ tablespoon Asian chili sauce (Sriracha sauce)

  • 2 12 inch loaves baguette-style French bread, cut into 6-inch rolls

  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach

  • 16 sprigs fresh cilantro

  • 1 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced (optional)*

Vietnamese Quick Pickle

  • 2 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoon white vinegar

  • teaspoon salt

  • ¼ cup thin, bite-size carrot strips

  • ¼ cup thin, bite-size daikon strips

  • 2 tablespoon thin, bite-size English cucumber strips

  • 1 tablespoon chopped red onion

Directions

  1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat crosswise into four portions. Butterfly each portion by cutting meat in half horizontally, cutting from the thicker side almost to the opposite side. Spread open. Place each portion in a 1-gallon freezer bag.

  2. Remove the tough outer layers from lemongrass. Crush stalks with the flat side of a knife; coarsely chop lemongrass.

  3. For marinade, in a medium bowl combine lemongrass, rice wine, soy sauce, white onion, green onions, brown sugar, and garlic. Pour marinade over meat in bags. Seal bags; turn to coat meat. If desired, prepare one portion right away (see tip, below). Freeze the remaining portions for up to 3 months.

  4. To serve, preheat oven to 325°F. Transfer one portion frozen meat with marinade to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 145°F, turning once halfway through roasting. Transfer meat to a cutting board; discard marinade. Cover meat with foil; let stand for 10 minutes (temperature of the meat will rise during standing). Meanwhile, prepare Vietnamese Quick Pickle.

To make sandwiches:

  1. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and chili sauce. Split rolls, cutting almost to the opposite sides. Spread cut sides with mayonnaise mixture.

  2. Thinly slice meat. Fill rolls with meat. Add spinach, cilantro, jalapeño pepper (if desired), and Vietnamese Quick Pickle. Drizzle lightly with the reserved vinegar mixture.

Vietnamese Quick Pickle

  1. In a small bowl combine sugar, vinegar, and salt. Add carrot, daikon, cucumber, and onion; toss to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, tossing once. Drain, reserving vinegar mixture.

*

Because chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the peppers, wash your hands and nails well with soap and warm water.

Marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Continue as directed in Step 4, except roast chilled meat with marinade for 30 to 40 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

833 Calories
25g Fat
102g Carbs
45g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 833
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 1612mg 70%
Total Carbohydrate 102g 37%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 45g
Vitamin C 7.6mg 38%
Calcium 36mg 3%
Iron 6.3mg 35%
Potassium 431mg 9%
Folate, total 35.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.5mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.8mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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