Victoria Pocus - Bahn Mi

Bahn Mi

I've included the instructions for all the components of a bahn mi sandwich but this could very easily be used to make a rice bowl with marinated pork or tofu instead. Instructions listed from most to least time-consuming (suggested order of operations).

Tuesday 18 March 2025

Bahn Mi

Marinade the Protein (4 to 6 hours)

Pickle the Veggies (1 hour to 2 weeks)

Mix the Spicy Tzaziki - Spicy Mayo Substitute (~<5 minutes)

Build the Sandwich or Bowl

Full Ingredients List

Variation - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Synthesis

References

Marinade the Protein (4 to 6 hours)

Preparation steps

Mix together these marinade ingredients in a large bowl or Ziploc bag

(Whatever vessel you plan to marinade in, make sure it will hold all your protein, and keep it covered with the marinade)

1/3 c. fish sauce
1/4 c. real maple syrup
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

(A microplane works well for this, peel the outer layer and be careful if grating by hand, gloves are your friends here)

1 shallot, minced

(Try grating this, it could be faster than chopping)

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

(You don't need salt with the fish sauce and soy sauce)

Optional: zest 1 lime and Juice of half lime (~1 teaspoon)

Add your protein to the marinade and set aside (4 - 6 hours)

1.5 – 2 lb. pork tenderloin or pork roast no bone

(Sliced 1/4 inch thin and against the grain, a slight diagonal cut for tenderloin might be good so you have longer pieces to stay on the bread; the pieces will cook down a bit, so feel free to make them a little longer and wider than you’d want on a sandwich. Additionally, freezing the meat for 20 minutes just before cutting can help with steady cuts)

2 blocks extra firm tofu

(Usually about 12 oz each, pressed and drained, then sliced into slabs that will fit on your bread; I usually cut 8 slabs from one block by cutting halves into halves into halves)

Pickle the Veggies (1 hour to 2 weeks)

If you don't want to take the time to pickle veggies, I've taken matchstick carrots and squeezed lime juice over them instead and it's close enough.

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced daikon radish (1 large daikon)

(I've used red radishes before and the taste is fine but they dye the brine a dark pink)

- 1/2 lb thinly sliced carrot (1 medium carrot)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 3/4 cup white vinegar

(I’ve seen 50/50 combos of rice [wine] vinegar and white vinegar for this, I’ve also seen versions with cucumber)

Pickling Veggie Instructions

Prepare the radish and carrot: Peel the radishand carrot and cut into matchsticks

(or peel into ribbons for a thinner but wider cut; will affect texture and could shorten pickling time if that's a factor for you)

Salt and jar the daikon and carrot: In a large bowl, toss together daikon, carrot and salt. Let it sit for 1 hour to pull out the water. Discard water. Squeeze out remaining moisture with your hands then transfer to at least a 24 oz jar.
Make the brine: In a medium size heat proof bowl/cup, dissolve sugar with hot water. Mix in vinegar. Allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature, if needed. Pour liquid into the jar of daikon and carrot and screw on the lid. Leave it at room temperature and it’s ready to eat in one hour. You can also store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Mix the Spicy Tzaziki - Spicy Mayo Substitute (~<5 minutes)

Ingredients - Mix well

½ cup yogurt

(I use 0% Fage greek yogurt because we have it on hand usually, and we don't like mayo)

1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha

(start with one, you can always add more spice but it's more difficult to correct for too much)

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
⅛ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

(for dry ingredients this is about a "pinch", and I'm seeing anywhere from 3 to 20 drops if you don't have an 1/8 teaspoon measure handy)

Build the Sandwich or Bowl

Additional Ingredients

Baguette or French Bread

~6" half of baguette would make a decent size sandwich but length will vary. Binging with Babish makes baguette based on the brie and butter sandwich from Twin Peaks if you want to give that a try but bakeries are our friends and bread folks love baking and I love supporting them.

Cucumber
Optional: Fresh Cilantro

Instructions

When you're ready to cook, take a large pan (I prefer our large non-stick pan) and add enough vegetable or canola oil for a thin layer to keep the protein from charring or adhering to the surface (the amount will vary based on the size of your pans). You can set up a baking pan with either a wire rack, or a lining of paper towels for the cooked protein to go.
Turn heat up to medium to medium high to heat oil, once oil has heated, you may need to cook in batches so you don't over-crowd your pan.
- Pork: remove pieces of pork one-by-one with tongs from the bowl (or ziploc bag) and slowly place into oil (you want oil to sizzle when you place meat in, but if it pops too much, turn heat slightly down). Ground pork would need to cook to 160°F and sliced tenderloin should reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F
- Tofu: Sauté over medium to medium-high heat until lightly browned
Once protein edges start to brown, remove from pan with tongs and set on your wire rack or paper-towel-lined baking pan.
Slice in half (lengthwise) and toast your bread (if you like a crispier crust adjust your toasting time accordingly), or add a serving of rice to a bowl (I usually do 4 oz cooked rice)
Dress your bread with sriracha Tzaziki to taste, I split 30g between the top and bottom pieces to help hold veggies in place.

(my spouse uses none while my father uses double what I would)

Add a serving of protein (3 to 4 oz)

(I usually get about a single layer over the surface of my bread with this amount)

Add carrots and/or radishes, try to even out distribution to make it flatter on top
Add sliced cucumber (about 60g), I usually slice at a 45° angle to get long oval cuts
Optional: top with fresh cilantro
Close sandwich, optional: skewer to hold together, then serve.

Full Ingredients List

1/3 c. fish sauce
1/4 c. real maple syrup
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 shallot, minced

1.5 – 2 lb. pork tenderloin or pork roast no bone

2 blocks extra firm tofu

1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced daikon radish (1 large daikon)

(I've used red radishes before and the taste is fine but they dye the brine a dark pink)

1 medium carrot
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup hot water
3/4 cup white vinegar
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Baguette or French Bread
Cucumber
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

(You don't need salt with the fish sauce and soy sauce)

Optional: zest 1 lime and Juice of half lime (~1 teaspoon)
Optional: Fresh Cilantro

Variation - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Synthesis

Slow cooker pulled pork synthesis recipe made in conjunction with the Pulled Pork recipe from Greg's Kitchen.

Ingredients

Shoulder pork, I used about 1 kilo (2pounds)
2 to 4 tablespoon of butter
1/3 c. fish sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable stock (or chicken)
1/4 c. real maple syrup
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tablespoonbrown sugar 1.7oz/48g
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 shallots, sliced thin 54g
Optional: Zest and juice of half a lime
Optional: 2 green onions, sliced thin
Optional: one small jalapeno sliced

Slow cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours

References

Greg’s Kitchen. (2016, August 27). HOW TO MAKE BBQ PULLED PORK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=xTutzRUOnZQFPWnS&v=Obmlxa8sPLI&feature=youtu.be

Lyon, S. (2018, June 6). Seared pork banh mi. Plum Street Collective. https://plumstreetcollective.com/seared-pork-bahn-mi/

Rea, A. (Director). (2020, November 3). Binging with Babish: Brie & Butter Baguettes from Twin Peaks [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWdjqdmFHxw