Pork meatball banh mi

Unless you've been living under a rock, the Vietnamese baguette, more commonly known as banh mi, has become one of the most popular ‘mandwiches’ around. Here’s a simple version of banh mi using Vietnamese-styled pork meatballs sandwiched inside a crusty bread roll, with pickles and a spicy Sriracha mayo.

INGREDIENTS

oil, for frying

8 individual baguettes

sriracha mayo, (see note) to serve

handful sliced jalapeno chillies, to serve

handful coriander sprigs, to serve

PORK MEATBALLS

500g minced pork

3 spring onions, finely chopped, green part only

15g basil, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sriracha chilli sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour

2 teaspoons white pepper

2 cm piece fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon sesame oil

salt

ASIAN PICKLES

2 carrots, julienned

1 small daikon, julienned

60ml rice vinegar, unseasoned

55g caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

METHOD

Line a tray with plastic wrap. To make the meatballs, mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, using hands to squeeze the minced pork until it is smooth and sticky. Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture between the palms of your wet hands into balls and place on the prepared tray. Cover the meatballs with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

To make the Asian pickles, mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour but no longer than 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Heat 1 cm of oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. In batches, fry the meatballs until browned all over and cooked through, about 5–8 minutes. Place the cooked meatballs on a baking tray and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.

To assemble, slice the baguettes horizontally and split in half. Hollow the bread out slightly by pulling some bread off to make space for the fillings. Squeeze or spread the Sriracha mayo liberally on both sides of the bread. Put the jalapeños on one side with a few sprigs of coriander then top with the meatballs. Drain the pickled vegetables and place over the meatballs. Press the top of the bread down and sandwich everything together.

NOTE

To make the Sriracha mayo, mix together 150 g mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon Sriracha in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until it’s ready to be used.

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