Banh Mi with Lemongrass Pork

Banh Mi is about the only Vietnamese dish I have any familiarity with, so I figured I'd try making my own. The marinade for the pork is very sweet (and the pickled carrots and daikon - called Do Chau - have sweetness to them as well), but the cilantro and pickled jalapenos help balance everything. Recipe adapted from: http://rasamalaysia.com/banh-mi-recipe/2/

Do Chau:

1 large carrot, peeled and julienned (about 1.5 cups)

¼ large daikon radish, peeled and julienned (about 1.5 cups)

1.5 cups rice vinegar

1.5 cups warm water

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

I cut my carrot and daikon into 1/8” julienne using a mandolin. Place the cut veggies into a container. Pour the warm water in a pyrex measuring cup (or other container) and add the sugar and salt, stirring to dissolve. Add to the container with the veggies, along with the rice vinegar. Refrigerate until ready to use. These should last in the refrigerator for at least a month.

Pork:

1 lb. pork loin

¼ cup minced lemongrass

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 large shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Cube the pork into 1” chunks and add to a Ziploc bag with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Remove the pork from the marinade. Heat a large pan over medium high heat and cook pork for about 4 minutes, flipping the meat halfway through.

Serve on a long roll with do chau, pickled jalapenos and cilantro.