CARAMELIZED PORK AND BÁNH MÌ

CARAMELIZED PORK AND BÁNH MÌ image

Categories Pork

Yield 4-6 people

Number Of Ingredients 26

Caramelized Pork and Bánh mì Assembly
1-1.5pound pork tenderloin
3tablespoons Fish sauce
2tablespoons Maple Syrup
1tablespoon brown sugar
2tablespoons soy sauce
1/2teaspoon sesame oil
2garlic cloves, minced
1slice ginger, minced
1green onion, sliced thinly
1/2teaspoon black pepper
2tablespoons vegetable oil
1loaf sweet French baguette (thin) or french bread sandwich rolls. Try to get the kind of French bread with a crisp crust and tender light center.
red leaf lettuce
pickled carrot and radishes (see below)
sliced jalapeno chili peppers
cilantro
Pâté (optional, but recommended)
mayonnaise
Pickled Carrots and Radishes
1/4pound baby carrots, peeled
1bunch red radishes, preferably breakfast radishes (daikon are more traditional. I just think red radishes are beautiful.)
1/2cup water
1cup apple cider vinegar
1tablespoon salt
2tablespoons sugar

Steps:

Caramelized Pork and Bánh mì Assembly 1. Cut tenderloin across the grain of the meat into ½ inch pieces. Flatten each piece to an even ¼ inch between two pieces of saran wrap using a meat pounder, rolling pin, or large bottle. 2. Mix ingredients from fish sauce to black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning - it should be sweet and savory so add more soy, salt, or sesame oil as you like. Add marinade to the meat and use your hands or large spoon to make sure all pieces of meat are coated in marinade. Marinate for 10-30 minutes. 3. You can cook the pork on the grill outdoors (best) or indoors using a grill pan or cast iron pan, something that you can get very hot. Heat grill or grill pan to high and turn on that vent fan! Add vegetable oil to meat and stir to coat. Sear first side of meat until very dark brown on one side, then flip and sear on the second side. Be careful not to overcook it. The meat is thin so it cooks quickly, one or two minutes on each side. 4. To assemble sandwiches, slice baguette and spread mayonnaise on one side, pâté on the other. Add lettuce, meat, pickled vegetables, cilantro and peppers. Dig in! Pickled Carrots and Radishes 1. Slice carrots and radishes into quarters (or sixths for thicker guys) lengthwise. Mix all ingredients together. Taste for seasoning. Let stand as little as an hour or up to overnight. They keep for several days.