Sunday

Banh Mi (My version of the Vietnamese sandwich)



My version of the popular Vietnamese sandwich is
a cross-cultural version. 

You see, I no longer live in an area with a sizable
Vietnamese population, and  I miss 
my favorite Vietnamese foods. 
But none are to to be found within a 2+ hour drive from my home. :(

What's a girl to do??

Well, improvise!

Not exactly authentic, but close enough for
my tastes and the bonus is, this one uses
a favorite of mine Carnitas which I normally
have on hand in the freezer. 


Carnitas:
A Mexican dish of little pieces of simmered and browned pork.
Usually just seasoned with salt (and maybe some
black pepper). I love carnitas!

Carnitas, also lend themselves to a number
of other recipes . . .
 So when I make a batch I always make extra as the meat
 freezes and reheats beautifully, it can be tucked 
into a warm tortilla, & topped with salsa for a satisfying snack or meal, 
I've also used it as a filling for enchiladas, burritos and tamales, etc.  
And you can shred the pork and add your favorite BBQ sauce,
 while you reheat it,  it is a very flavorful filling in
pulled pork sandwiches.


*~*~*~*~*






For my adulterated version of Banh Mi, 
I shredded the  carnitas and added just a bit of water
 to keep the meat moist while heating in a pan on the stovetop, 
and also added a bit of Asian-style sauce. 
 
I used Mr. Yoshida's original sauce --
I just added a little while warming the meat .
Taste and add more sauce (and water)  if necessary, 
until you are pleased with the flavor (and juiciness!)

Note: It doesn't take much of Mr. Y's because the sauce is concentrated. 

The traditional sandwich garnishes are  Du Chua 
sweet/sour pickled vegetables (usually carrots and daikon) and
slivered green onions, cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeño,
sliced cucumber, mayonnaise or butter (I like mayo best here),
and sometimes a drizzle of soy sauce (not necessary if using another
Asian-style sauce.)

 For the authentic "Special" version a slather of 
liver pate is spread on the roll.

 For my garnishes  I didn't bother to pickle the carrots or radishes 
(Instead of daikon I used garden-variety red radishes 
because that's what's most readily available here.)
I love cilantro so I added lots, but just leave it out if you don't care for it.

Ummmm!  So good!!
It made me very happy to (almost) duplicate one of
my favorite Vietnamese meals. 
If you can find good Banh Mi nearby ~ LUCKY YOU!

If not, this version will likely satisfy your craving. :D 

Oh! And rather than pork, you can also make Banh Mi with a number of
other fillings. You can find an variety of other meat (and non-meat) ideas
Here.  ~


Thank you for coming by for a visit today.

Blessings!  ~ mari xo




*Disclosure per FTC requirements: 
I received no compensation for mentioning Mr. Yoshida's brand sauce.



8 comments:

  1. excellent clarity in your photos.

    sandwich looks so good!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ..."(I like mayo best here)." Your father's daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This does look good. I've never tried a Banh Mi sandwich.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Sandi, thank you so much ~ what a nice comment!

    Yep, bro . . . I love mayo (and butter, too.) You as well?? :)

    Hello Lorrie, I think you might like a Banh Mi sandwich, you can make it with all sorts of fillings. I hope you get a chance to try one!

    Thank you for your comments, have a great week everybody!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looks so refreshingly good:)
    They ARE so clear:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mmm, this looks delish, Mari!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you Monique and Karen!

    So good to "see" you here. xo

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a mouth-watering sandwich. I love
    Banh Mi and I'm craving for one after looking at your pictures. :P And that layer of liver pate is a must! ;)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments, friends ~ they make my day!

A Sampling of my food . . .

Subscribe:

 Subscribe in a reader...or

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner