I have actually gotten into fights with my husband over this. There is no splitting of sandwiches in our household, only trading halves with each other.
I don't know if this is because I am from NY but I consider Sandwich making and art. It's not just putting a few things between some bread. It's layering different texture and flavors and knowing how much of each is needed and where they all go. The combinations are endless.
One of my favorite sandwiches of all times is the Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich. If you don't know what this is, you are missing out. Traditionally there is some type of pork (pork belly, grilled pork, pate etc...) or even chicken that is topped with sliced jalapeno, cucumber, cilantro and pickled carrots & daikon served on a crusty and chewy baguette. It is everything I think a sandwich should be. Juicy and tender meat , cucumbers cold and crisp, jalapenos just spicy enough to make you sweat a little, pickled carrot & daikon fight against the fattiness of the meat and then there is fresh and grassy cilantro. It is almost a religious experience for me.
We ended up eating these in the kitchen right off the cutting board with some cold beers. It was a magical night.
Bahn Mi
(Inspired by Not Without Salt)
Freshest Baguette you can find Cilantro
Cucumber spears
Slices of Jalapeno
Balsamic Vinegar
Pickled Carrot & Daikon
2 carrots shredded on a box grater2 daikon radish on a box grater (same size as carrots)
2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar, depending on how sweet you want your pickles
2 teaspoons salt
Place shredded daikon and carrot in a glass jar with a secure lid. Place remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix till sugar is dissolved. Pour over the daikon mixture until submerged. Refrigerate till ready to use.
Spicy Mayo
2/3 cup mayonnaise2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of Garlic flavored hot sauce (I used Sambal Olek but the original recipe called for Sriracha)
¼ teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredient in a small bowl and refrigerate till ready to use. I made it 24 hours in advance to let all the flavors come together.
Pork Meat Patties
(Makes 12 meat patties)1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro stems, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce (again, I used Sambal Olek)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Start with the ground pork in the bowl and press it all along the sides so you have a wider surface area for the meat. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the ground pork and combine till evenly mixed. This recipe makes 12 patties about the size of a tablespoon. I like the shape of the patties instead of a traditional meatball. I think they cover more surface area of the bread.
Preheat the oven for 350. Cover the bottom of skillet (I used cast iron) with a thin film of oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, place a few of the patties in the pan. Make sure you don't over crowd the pan. You want the meat to brown and not steam. Once you have brown the first batch, move them to a baking sheet. You may have to pour out the oil and wipe the pan out between batches. Some of the herbs may come lose as you brown the patties and start to burn.
Once the patties are browned, place them in the oven and finish cooking. Should be done in 10-15 minutes.
Now it's time to assemble the Sandwich!
Cut your Baguette into 6 inch slabs ( I found individual rolls at a local bakery) and slice in half leaving the back connected. Rip out some of the insides of the bread so the sandwich can be more compact. Slather the bottom half with the spicy mayo. Splash a little balsamic vinegar on the top half of the bread. Place 3 of the patties on the side with the mayo.
Place 3 slice of Jalapeno, or how many you can handle, 2 cucumber spears, a few cilantro leaves and some of the pickled daikon & carrot mixture.
