Pork Meatball Banh Mi

Servings: 4 · Prep: 25 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 50 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup Carrot
• 1 cup Daikon radish
• 1/2 cup Unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons Granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Fine salt
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1 1/4 pounds Ground pork
• 3 each Garlic cloves
• 3 each Scallions, white and green parts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons Canola oil
• 4 each Baguette pieces
• 1 cup Cucumber
• 1 cup Cilantro leaves and tender stems

Equipment

Oven; Baking Sheet; Measuring Cups; Measuring Spoons; Cutting Board; Tongs; Chef’s knife; Fork; Vegetable peeler; 12-inch skillet; clean plate; Strainer; Clean produce brush; Clean instant-read thermometer; Serrated bread knife; Mixing bowls, including a small bowl; oven; baking sheet; measuring cups; measuring spoons; cutting board; tongs; chef’s knife; fork; vegetable peeler; strainer

Steps

1. Wash and prepare the produce. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Before peeling or cutting, rinse the carrot, daikon, cucumber, scallions and cilantro under running water. Scrub the carrot, daikon and cucumber with a clean produce brush, remove damaged areas and dry. Prepare the vegetables as listed.
   • 1 cup carrot — peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
   • 1 cup daikon radish — peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
   • 3 Each garlic — minced
   • 3 Each scallions — finely chopped
   • 1 cup cucumber — thinly sliced
   • 1 cup cilantro

   Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before handling the produce.

2. Start the quick pickles. Start the quick pickles. In a bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, warm water, sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the carrot and daikon and toss thoroughly. Let stand for at least 20 minutes while you prepare and cook the meatballs, tossing occasionally to expose all the vegetables to the brine.
   • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
   • 1/2 cup Water
   • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 1 cup carrot — peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
   • 1 cup daikon radish — peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
3. Heat the oven and make chili mayonnaise. Heat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha. Refrigerate the chili mayonnaise, cucumber and cilantro until assembly.
   • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
   • 2 tablespoons sriracha

   Keep the chili mayonnaise, cucumber, and cilantro refrigerated until assembly.

4. Mix and shape the meatballs. In a mixing bowl, combine the pork, garlic, scallions and fish sauce. Mix by hand just until evenly combined and slightly sticky, about 30 seconds. Gently shape into 20 evenly sized meatballs, approximately 1 1/2 inches across. Wash your hands and clean any utensils and surfaces that touched the raw pork before handling ready-to-eat ingredients.
   • 1 1/4 pounds pork
   • 3 Each garlic — minced
   • 3 Each scallions — finely chopped
   • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

   Keep raw pork and anything that touches it separate from ready-to-eat bread, pickles, cucumber, and cilantro; wash hands and clean utensils and surfaces before handling ready-to-eat ingredients.

5. Cook the first batch of meatballs. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 10 meatballs, leaving space between them. Brown for 4–5 minutes, turning gently with tongs to develop color on several sides. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until the centers reach 160°F (71°C). Insert a clean instant-read thermometer into the center of several meatballs to check; do not rely on color alone.
   • 1 tablespoon canola oil
   • 5/8 pound pork

   Cook the meatballs to 160°F (71°C) at the center and check with a clean instant-read thermometer.

6. Cook the remaining meatballs. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a clean plate using clean utensils. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 10 meatballs, raising the heat for browning and lowering it to finish cooking. Check that this batch also reaches 160°F (71°C). Clean the thermometer probe before and after use.
   • 1 tablespoon canola oil
   • 5/8 pound pork

   Confirm this batch reaches 160°F (71°C); clean the thermometer probe before and after use, and use clean utensils and a clean plate for cooked meatballs.

7. Toast the baguette. While the second batch cooks, split each baguette piece lengthwise, leaving a hinge along one side. Place on the baking sheet with the cut surfaces facing upward. Toast for 4–6 minutes, until lightly crisp at the edges but still soft enough to bite comfortably.
   • 4 Each baguette

   Use oven mitts when handling the hot baking sheet.

8. Assemble and serve the sandwiches. Drain the carrot and daikon thoroughly in the strainer and gently blot away excess brine. Divide all the chili mayonnaise evenly among the four baguette pieces, spreading it over their cut surfaces. Fill each sandwich with 5 meatballs, then divide all the cucumber, drained pickles and cilantro evenly among the four sandwiches. Close gently and serve immediately.
   • 1 cup cucumber — thinly sliced
   • 1 cup cilantro

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