Banh Mi Thit (Pork Sandwich)

This sandwich is a specialty of Hoi An, a charming old fishing village in central Vietnam. Its interplay of textures – cold cuts (pork loin, ham, or chicken; home-cooked or purchased), ground pork, greens, and cucumbers – is distinctive.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup shallot , chopped
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 12 ounces ground lean pork
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons red chili paste or 2 tablespoons asian red chili sauce
• 12 ounces pork tenderloins, cooked and thinly sliced
• 2 cups English cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 3 cups mesclun
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil
• 1/2 cup fried shallots (optional)
• 3 French baguettes, use light baguette with soft interior and thin crisp crust (8 oz ea.)

Directions:

In an 8- 10 inch sauté pan over medium/high heat, stir five spice until fragrant, about 30 seconds

Stir in oil, shallots and garlic

Add ground pork and stir often until meat is crumbly and no longer pink

Add soy sauce, sugar and salt and pepper to taste; set aside

Cut baguettes in half crosswise then split almost all the way through, leaving halves attached on one side

Spread 1 tsp of chile paste on one cut side of each baguette section

Spoon 1/6 of the warm ground pork mixture (including juices) over the chili paste

Tuck 1/6 of the pork tenderloin slices evenly into each sandwich

Place sandwiches on a sheet pan and bake at 375°F for about 5 minutes or until filling are warm and crust is crisp

Remove from oven and fill each with 1/6 of the cucumbers, mesclun, basil and fried shallots.

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