Every country has a signature sandwich, but none come close to matching the flavours and textures of Vietnam’s “Bahn mi” roll. Thanks to the French colonialism in Indochina, the world was introduced to the addictive combo of fresh herbs, pickled veggies, and seasoned pork, all stuffed inside a crunchy baguette. The perfect snack for sitting down to plan your next visit.

Ingredients

For the pickled vegetables
¾ cup shredded carrots
¾ cup thinly sliced  cucumbers
½ cup shredded radish
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

For the pork
½ cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions
2 to 3 tablespoons sriracha or other chili sauce, to taste
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup chopped fresh basil
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime

For the sandwich
2 baguettes cut into thirds, split
Fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced and seeded, for serving
Mint sprigs, for serving
Cilantro sprigs, for serving

Method
Step 1
To make the pickled vegetables: In a bowl, toss together the carrots, cucumbers, radish, vinegar, sugar and salt and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2
Meanwhile, make the pork. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon spring onions and 1 to 2 tablespoons chili sauce, to taste. Cover tightly and set aside.

Step 3
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons spring onions and the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add pork and cook, breaking up with a fork, until no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon chili sauce and the fish sauce, pepper, salt and sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the basil, lime zest and lime juice. Let cool 5 minutes, then add mayonnaise mixture.

Step 4
Fill bread with pork mixture. Press the jalapeño, mint and cilantro sprigs into the pork. Spoon some pickled vegetables onto the sandwiches and serve any extra alongside.

This recipe was created by Melissa Clark. You can purchase her latest cookbook right here.

TripADeal travels to Vietnam right here