Vietnamese bánh mì — the Saigon sandwich with pickled vegetables and marinated pork

Bánh mì is Vietnam’s most famous sandwich — a legacy of French colonial cuisine turned into a Vietnamese masterpiece in the 1950s in Saigon, as Wikipedia writes. The baguette with a crispy crust and airy crumb is filled with marinated meat, sweet-and-sour pickled vegetables, fresh cucumber and aromatic herbs: a perfect balance of flavours in every bite.

Ingredients (for 4 sandwiches)

For the marinated meat:

• 400 g pork (leg or belly), cut into thin slices
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the pickled vegetables:

• 2 medium carrots, cut into thin strips
• 1 white radish (daikon), cut into thin strips
• 100 ml rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For assembly:

• 4 small baguettes (or 2 large baguettes, cut in half)
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 cucumber, cut into long strips
• 1 bunch fresh coriander
• Fresh mint leaves
• 1–2 fresh chillies, cut into rings (to taste)
• Soy sauce for sprinkling

Preparation steps

1. Prepare the pickled vegetables: Mix the vinegar with the sugar and salt until they dissolve. Add the carrots and radish to the liquid, cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes (the longer, the better — up to 2 hours).
2. Marinate the meat: Mix the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, pepper and oil. Coat the meat slices with the marinade and leave to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature (or up to 4 hours in the fridge).
3. Cook the meat: Heat a large pan or grill over high heat. Cook the meat slices for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden and lightly caramelised at the edges. Leave to rest for 5 minutes, then cut into strips.
4. Warm the baguettes: Put the baguettes in an oven preheated to 180°C for 5 minutes, until the crust becomes crispy.
5. Assemble the sandwiches: Cut the baguettes lengthwise without separating them completely. Spread with mayonnaise, line up the meat strips, drain the pickled vegetables and add them, then the cucumber, coriander, mint and chilli.
6. Serve: Sprinkle with a few drops of soy sauce and serve immediately, while the bread is still warm and crispy.

Preparation time: 25 minutes (+ 30 minutes marinating) | Cooking time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4 sandwiches