Working Eater Series: Banh Mi Me!

My favorite type of sandwich is the "banh mi," a Vietnamese street sandwich. The banh mi sandwich exemplifies the profound influence the French colonial empire has had on Vietnamese cuisine--it is a sandwich (a classic Western food item) that incorporates Asian elements (cilantro, pickled daikon, and green chili peppers).

To make banh mi sandwiches, start with high-quality crusty French baguette. The baguette must be cut open and toasted until warm and lightly browned at the cut edges.

Lightly smear a thin coat of mayonnaise (preferably not Miracle Whip or other salad dressings with a "tangy zip") on the exposed side of the bottom section of the cut bread.

Add lunch meat onto the sandwich, and when placing the meat into the sandwich, artfully "curl" the cold cuts into folded halves. Vietnamese families traditionally like to use the ham or turkey breast cold cuts. I would advise you never to use bologna or salami. You can also add Vietnamese-style barbequed pork, barbequed dark chicken meat, shredded chicken breast, slices of Vietnamese pork meatballs, fried egg, and crackly roasted pork skin. The sky is the limit as to the filling for a banh mi. Mario Batali added mango and lobster and I read a recipe that added seared tuna. I like to add liverwurst pâté in addition to the meat filling. Just as long as you line the exposed half of the bread with the meat until the bread is sufficiently covered, the sandwich should taste delicious.

Generously heap the sandwich with handfuls of a slaw mixture made of pickled and shredded carrots and daikon. This pickled slaw is what gives a banh mi sandwich its "kick" and unique flavor. To make this banh mi slaw, first shred carrots and daikon on the large holes of a box grater. I prefer using more carrots than daikon in the slaw. Then, cover the freshly shredded root vegetables with a dressing made of equal parts rice wine vinegar and white sugar. You can use distilled white vinegar too, but keep in mind that white vinegar is more tart and mouth-puckeringly sour, so you might want to modify the sugar-vinegar content if you use it. The slaw should taste more sweet than sour. You should marinate the slaw for at least two hours before using it. Drain the slaw well before you place it on the sandwich, and don't worry if the daikon turns orange from the carrots. Use your hands to squeeze out the excess moisture, wringing out the pickling juice from the slaw as best you can.

Add a scattering of cut jalapeno rings (with seeds included) and several full sprigs cilantro. You may also add slices or slivers of cool cucumber here. Finally, cover the sandwich with the remaining half of the cut loaf.

See how easy that was! Now go out and make yourself some delicious Vietnamese street sandwiches!