Pork Meatball Bánh Mì

Gosh!  As I start to post this, I realize that it has been a very long time since I posted anything on this blog.  A little more often, I tend to post to a Facebook page also called Jim's Place for Food and Booze where this will ultimately also show up.  This recipe is special, though, so here I am.


Bánh Mì are spicy Vietnamese sandwiches that are full of fresh crunchy vegetables and yummy meats. This is a version with pork meatballs which Kathy and I think is very good, but I can almost guarantee that it will vary a bit each time I make it in the future.

I am only slightly embarrassed to say that I "borrowed" the photo above from the internet.  This photo looks something like what I made yesterday (except that mine was messier).  But I had no expectations when I was cooking that I would convert my effort to a post, so I never thought of taking a photo.  I do have leftover meatballs, though, so I will get around to making this again soon and will replace the photo then  Update:  I found a photo I took the first time I tried Bánh Mì back in November.  Not the exact one that I made from the recipe below, but close, and I like my own picture better than the one I had borrowed...

I made this recipe up the way I do most of my cooking -- I look at a number of recipes and then just do what I feel like.  For this one, I relied on one I found on the King Arthur Flour site, and another one from the Lardo food truck in Portland, Oregon that was posted on the Eat St. web site.  (The King Arthur site is a favorite of mine for both flour and supplies, and for recipes. And I know even though I have not been there yet that I will have to seek out Lardo the next time I am in Portland.)

The recipe that follows is not spicy enough for Leslie and Joe, and probably a bit too spicy for Lisa and (our other) Joe.  But if you make it, you will know how much spice you like, and it will be good however you want to adjust it.

Pork Meatball Bánh Mì

Yield: 4 good-sized sandwiches

Ingredients MEATBALLS 1 lb ground pork 1 Tbs sriracha 1 Tbs fish sauce 1 Tbs sugar 6 scallions, chopped 1 large egg 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs 1 1/2 tsp salt SALAD 3 large carrots, grated 12 small radishes, grated (same volume as carrots) 3 Tbs rice vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbs sesame oil SRIRACHA MAYO 1 cup mayonnaise 4 scallions, thinly sliced 1 Tbs sriracha (more for Chithors and Elbles) 1/4 tsp sesame oil SANDWICHES baguettes, enough for 4 pieces 8"-9" long 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces 6 inch piece of English cucumber, thinly sliced 1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

How to Make For the meatballs: Mix together all ingredients. Only use enough Panko to bind the mixture without drying it out or making it heavy. Form 1" meatballs with damp hands. You should make about 24 meatballs, enough for 6 meatballs for each sandwich. Sear in a pan until golden brown on all sides. Place in a baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the meatballs’ internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately 20 minutes. For the salad: Combine all ingredients and set aside.   For the sriracha mayo: Mix ingredients together. You can adjust the amount of sriracha sauce to your desired level of spiciness. For the sandwiches: Slice the baguette pieces part way through and spread open. Spread the sriracha mayo on both sides, add a layer of cucumber slices, then top with meatballs, salad, jalapeno chunks, and a generous amount of cilantro.

Author: Jim Thoreen Source: Adapted from a recipe found on the King Arthur Flour web site, and one from the Lardo food truck in Portland, Oregon, which was posted on the Eat St. web site. See links, below.

Notes You may choose to use daikon radish in the salad, which is more traditional, but harder to find in rural America. I actually prefer red radishes to daikon, though. I found Sky Valley Sriracha Sauce at a Whole Foods Market. It tastes very good, and is not filled with all the usual chemicals found in most commercial brands. Learn more about it, and where else you can buy it, at http://organicvillefoods.com/products/condiments/sriracha-sauce/ A good recipe at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/bnh-m-recipe started my at-home exploration of Bánh Mì . The King Arthur Flour company is a favorite of mine for both their flours and supplies, and their recipes. The Lardo food truck, and now restaurants, in Portland, Oregon look like must-go destinations if you are lucky enough to be in that city. Their Bánh Mì recipe is posted at http://eatst.foodnetwork.ca/tvshow/recipe/133/pork-meatball-banh-mi/

Slaw with Cucumber and Jicama

I don't think it is possible to use an entire jicama at one time, so I ended up with half of one that needed to be used.  I also had some other miscellaneous partly used veggies in the fridge.  This is the resulting slaw.


Cabbage, jicama, cucumber, red bell peppers and red onion.  Dressing of rice vinegar, a tiny bit of agave nectar  (used because I am told it does better things to your system than refined white cane sugar), some olive oil, and a bit of salt.


As an aside, the oil is from the olive business that has been developing over the last several years right here in the Texas Hill Country.  And while I think some people from Texas tend to brag about their state just a bit too much (especially about its politics), I have to say the olive oil here could stand up to just about anything from Italy, Spain, or California.


This slaw should go well with the Los Angeles food truck carne asada that I am going to try this afternoon. It is a Korean-Mexican fusion recipe that you can read on the NY Times. (see the link)  Interesting article even if you think the recipe sounds odd, although I am betting the recipe will be a keeper.   

Passenger Cocktail

The only thing you probably need to know about the Passenger Cocktail is that it is so good that it almost made Kathy like gin.  Almost.

I had this in Austin at Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar on South Congress in Austin.  Outstanding place to eat.  Right next to Hotel San Jose (expensive), and a block or so from the Austin Motel (cheap), both great places to stay when you are in Austin.

You will note that there is no mint in this picture.  I didn't have any today when I took the picture. The Passenger Cocktail is much better with mint, but a splash of Peychaud Bitters is pretty good if you don't have any mint on hand.

The Passenger

Almost good enough to turn Kathy into a gin drinker.

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients 1 1/2 oz Dry Gin 1/2 oz St. Germain 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice San Pellegrino Aranciata (a type of orange soda) Mint

How to Make Pour into an ice-filled Collins Glass and top off with San Pellegrino Aranciata. Stir and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Source: Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar in Austin