Recipe: Bánh mì thịt nướng (Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chop)

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 23, 2023

bánh mìthịt nướng (Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chop) is my favorite kind of sandwich. It was created in Vietnam during French colonial rule, and has influences from both cultures. The sandwich is typically made with French baguette and pâté, with different variants of Vietnamese meats and ingredients as the filling. The banh mi ‘thit nuong’ (grilled pork chop), however, is at the top of my list.

Unfortunately you can’t just whip this one up on the spot, as it demands a little preparation at least one day in advance. The meat is best marinated the day before, and the ‘do chua’ (pickled daikon and carrots) can be made the day before as well – but will be better if it is made the week before.

I usually marinade a bunch of pork chops, have them for dinner the first day, and then use the leftovers for sandwiches the following day.
The do chua is generally amazing with rice and meat dishes, and it lasts for about a month in the refrigerator, leaving you plenty of time to nibble.

The picture below is a banh mi stand right around the corner of my grandmother’s house. This woman arrives early every morning and sits there all day long in the blazing hot sun.

Recipe: Bánh mì thịt nướng (Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chop)

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Lunch, sandwichCuisine: Vietnam

Servings

sandwiches

Ingredients

US Metric

1 1 thit nuong pork chop, grilled and sliced into smaller pieces
Do chua – pickled daikon and carrots
2 2 sandwich-sized baguettes, the light and fluffy kind
1 tablespoon 1 mayonnaise
A couple of sprigs of cilantro
1 1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced crosswise into smaller pieces
¼ ¼ English cucumber, cut into sticks

Directions

Slice the sandwich bread halfway lengthwise.
Spread some mayo on each side of the sandwich and lay the thit nuong evenly on the bottom of the sandwich.
Add cilantro, jalapeno, cucumber, and do chua on top and close the sandwich. Wrap some sandwich paper around one end for easy eating.

Recipe: Vietnamese THỊT NƯỚNG (CARAMELIZED GRILLED PORK)

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 23, 2023

The traditional way of making thit nuong is to cut the meat into 2-3 inch strips, then marinade the meat and grill it in between two wire baskets over a charcoal grill. The marinade consists of caramelized sugar syrup (nuoc mau) and fish sauce, two cooking essentials in the Vietnamese kitchen.

The fish sauce is very salty (and a bit smelly), but it has a lot of flavor. I often add a few dashes to my chicken, pork, and shrimp instead of salt and a little bit of sugar to get the protein crispy.

There are a bunch of traditional Vietnamese dishes where thit nuong is included, but here are a few of my favorites:
• Rice with grilled meat (‘com thit nuong’ as seen on the top picture)
• The Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi thit nuong)
• Angel hair rice noodles with grilled pork, served with lettuce for wrapping (banh hoi thit heo nuong)

As a city-dweller I am not privileged to have a garden with an outdoor grill, so unfortunately I have to make this in my oven. For this I use pork chops, which are on the more fatty side. If you do have a charcoal grill, you can make it the traditional way and use pork butt or shoulder instead.

Recipe: Vietnamese THỊT NƯỚNG (CARAMELIZED GRILLED PORK)

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: DinnerCuisine: Vietnam

Servings

servings

Ingredients

US Metric

2 lbs 2 900 grams) pork chops (or 1 ½ lbs. (680 grams) pork butt or shoulder, thinly sliced to about ¼ inch thick)
¼ cup ¼ (60 ml) lemongrass, minced
¼ cup ¼ (60 ml) sugar
1 tablespoon 1 ground pepper
2 tablespoons 2 fish sauce
3 tablespoons 3 sesame oil
3 3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
3 3 small shallots, minced
1 tablespoon 1 nuoc mau (Vietnamese caramel syrup)

Directions

Prepare the marinade with the above ingredients and coat the meat to marinade for at least 1-2 hours or for more enhanced taste the day before.
For oven: Set the oven to broil or grill and place the meat on a grilling rack right under the heating element. Broil/grill a few minutes on each side.
For charcoal grill: lay out the meat in between two wire baskets and grill for a few minutes on each side.