Pork Meatball Banh Mi

Well I'm back from vacation, and Yellowstone and the Tetons were amazing! It was incredibly difficult to leave and I would seriously consider living out there someday. At least we came back home to my favorite time of the year here in the Northeast, and I'm happy to be home cooking again!

So this was pretty much the first thing I made when I came home. Fresh flavors combined in a good hearty sandwich seemed like a nice transition to fall. And this is what every great sandwich should be - messy, meaty, crunchy, chewy goodness. As always, you can adjust this to your palate and remove the seeds from the jalapenos and chop them or omit them entirely. The sriracha mayo adds a very mellow heat, but reduce the sriracha in it if you need to!

Also, just FYI, sandwiches are a gigantic pain in the ass to take photos of. Just letting that be known for posterity...

Pork Meatball Banh Mi
(makes 4 sandwiches)

Sriracha Mayo

1/2 cup mayo

1 heaping Tbsp sriracha 

2 green onions, finely chopped

Quick-pickled Carrot & Radish

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup shredded or julienne carrot

1 cup shredded or julienne shunyko or daikon radish

Pork Meatballs

1 lb ground pork

2 green onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup basil, finely chopped

1 Tbsp sriracha

1 Tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp corn starch

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp sesame oil

For assembly:

4 6-inch long pieces of baguette
fresh cilantro sprigs
thinly sliced jalapenos

1. For mayo: combine mayo, sriracha, and green onions in a small bowl. Cover and set in the fridge.

2. For pickled veg: combine vinegar, sugar, pepper flakes and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Add the carrot and radish and toss until well coated. Cover and set aside for 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

3. For meatballs: In a medium bowl combine pork, green onions, garlic, basil, sriracha, fish sauce, corn starch, sugar, salt and pepper and mix gently but thoroughly. With moistened hands, form meat mixture into about 1-inch sized meatballs. Heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and cook, turning frequently, until brown and cooked through. Transfer to plate while you assemble the sandwiches. 

4. To assemble: Slice the baguette pieces in half and pull out some of the soft bread innards (save and dry out for breadcrumbs if you like.) Spread some of prepared mayo on the inside of each piece of baguette. Add some cilantro and jalapeno to the bottom halves, then top each bottom half with 1/4 of the meatballs. Drain the carrots & radishes and place atop the meatballs. Press on the tops of the baguettes and serve!
(adapted from Bon Appetit)