Vietnam / Bread
Bánh Mì
Bánh mì means 'bread' in Vietnamese, and it often refers to a type of Vietnamese sandwich. It may have started as a 'kitchen sink' recipe in Vietnam, where various leftovers would be tossed into a sandwich to finish them up (like a po' boy). Bánh mì is now sought after by many for its unique and delicious flavours. There are many different types of bánh mì sandwiches, ranging from chunked BBQ grilled pork, sliced pork pâté, and shredded grilled chicken, to grilled and smoked fish, sardine, meatball, Chinese-style sausage, and tripe. Choices of bread are also quite varied. It is customary to use a toasted French baguette or French bread, because of the textures these breads provide: Bánh mì tastes best when the outer crust of the bread is firm but not overly hard, and the inner part of the bread is fluffy and light like a yeast roll, that is, one which is not overly dense or spongy. The reason for this is that the crust's firmness provides a barrier for the moisture of the sandwich, and the lightness of the inner bread does not overwhelm the flavors of the sandwich, which would otherwise make the sandwich taste overly 'bready'. Still, no sandwich tastes better than the flavor of th…
Ingredients
- baguette-style bread1 loaf
- carrot, julienned
- daikon radish, julienned
- salt
- water
- coconut vinegar or white vinegar, coconut vinegar or white vinegar
- sugar
- cilantro, (coriander) leaves and stems
- jalapeño, super-thin slices
- cucumber, fresh, sliced
- BBQ pork, BBQ
- BBQ chicken, BBQ
- pork pâté, sliced
- pork meatloaf, sliced
- ham, sliced
- BBQ beef, BBQ
- meatballs
- Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese-style sausage, sliced, waxy kind
- sardines
- tripe
- smoked salmon
- whitefish, grilled or fried
- textured vegetable protein, wheat gluten, seitan, sueyu, suegai - vegetarian fish fillets
- seasoned tofu, seasoned
- turnip, sliced
- green onions, sliced
- tomatoes, sliced, patted dry
- mint, sprigs
- basil, sprigs
- cabbage, shredded
- sprout mix
- lettuce
- Japanese mayonnaise, Kewpie Mayo - squeeze bottle with a baby on front
- mayso, mayo and soy sauce
- maysocha, mayo, soy sauce, and sriracha chili sauce
- maycha, mayo and sriracha
- Hot Mom, mayo, Lao Gan Ma Chinese hot sauce
- lime or lemon juice and sugar, any of the above with lime or lemon juice and sugar
- BBQ sauce and mayo, and mayo
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 8 steps
Lightly sprinkle the julienned carrot and radish with salt. Let rest 5 min, then rinse with cold water.
Mix equal parts of water, vinegar with sugar. Bring to a boil, cool, and pour over vegetables.
Store this mixture in a container in the refrigerator for at least a day before using.
Slice a length of baguette lengthwise. Form a trench in each half by either removing the excess bread or compressing it. These depressions are where you will put the filling.
Toast the bread if desired.
Spread a layer of desired sauce(s) on each half of the bread.
Fill the sandwich with any of the desired fillings listed above.
Serve.
