Picture the grinder, a sub, or the Cubano… they’re sandwiches combining meat and vegetables with sauces. But there’s one sandwich that is the rage coast-to-coast, the báhn mì, (pronounced bonn-me) which combines thinly sliced pickled and fresh vegetables with sauce and your favorite protein, served on a soft baguette. These are crazy good, especially the recipes from The Banh Mi Handbook by Andrea Nguyen.
We used crispy pork belly for our sandwich, and piled on pickled carrots, shallots, and daikon, though you could use red radishes instead of daikon if you’d like. The vegetables “flash-pickle” in just one hour, and the sauces couldn’t be easier. You can have these gluten-free, or vegetarian, if that’s your wheelhouse. Andrea’s recipes showcase all versions, from the classic French-Vietnamese báhn mì using a slice of pâté, to innovative combinations.
