Sandwiches

Perfect Banh Mi With Crispy Pork Belly At Home

Crispy Roasted pork belly, homemade sweet chili sauce, all on a perfect baguette which is ideally homemade as well.

Prep
Overnight
Cook
3 hours
Total
12 hours
Serves
4
people
Perfect Banh Mi With Crispy Pork Belly At Home
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Ingredients

3 Pepper Crispy Pork Belly:

  • 2 - 3 lb (907g) pork belly with skin on, cured overnight 
  • 1 Tbsp (9g) black peppercorn, blended
  • 1 Tbsp (3g) Sichuan peppercorn, blended
  • 1 Tbsp (10g) white peppercorn, blended
  • 2 Tbsp (17g) vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt to taste

Pickle Medley:

  • 3 whole carrots, julienned
  • 1 daikon, julienned
  • 1 cup (240ml) rice vinegar
  • 1 cup (240ml) water
  • 2 Tbsp (28g) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp (10g) kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp (5g) coriander seeds
  • 2 pieces lime zest

Sweet Chili Sauce:

  • ¾ cup (151g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (63g) sambal oelek
  • 1 cup (211g) rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup (60ml) water
  • 2 Tbsp (20g) fish sauce
  • 1 Tbsp (8g) corn starch
  • 8 cloves garlic, rough chopped
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves

Banh Mi:

  • 4 baguettes
  • Cucumber thinly sliced into coins 
  • 5 red Fresno chilies sliced thinly
  • Pickle medley
  • Mayonnaise for spreading
  • Sweet chili sauce for serving
  • Fresh cilantro leaves for serving

Directions

3 Pepper Crispy Pork Belly:

  1. Place pork belly on a wire rack, season it with salt on both sides, and let it sit uncovered in your fridge overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 300℉ then in a blender, place the peppercorns, and blend until you get a powder. Season the pork belly on the underside and not the skin. Place the pork belly in some foil and wrap just the bottom leaving a border around the edges with the skin exposed.
  3. Rub a thin veneer of vegetable oil on the skin and season the skin generously with kosher salt. Place in the oven for 2.5 hours, check halfway to ensure the foil is still snug. (tight the foil if necessary)
  4. Increase oven temperature to 475℉ or 500℉.  Place on a wire rack, set over a lined baking sheet, and place in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes.
  5. Once ready, take it out and let it sit for five minutes. Using a serrated knife, slice the belly, about ½” thick. 

Pickle Medley:

  1. Place carrots in a quart container. Place daikon in a pint container.
  2. In a small pot, add rice vinegar, water, sugar, salt, coriander seeds, and lime zest; bring it to a boil and immediately remove from the heat and strain that hot liquid over your vegetables to submerge them. Let them sit until they reach room temperature.

Sweet Chili Sauce:

  1. In a saucepot add sugar, sambal oelek, rice vinegar, water, and fish sauce, whisk; then turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, let it reduce for 5 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together corn starch and a splash of water to make a slurry, pour that into your sweet chili sauce, reduce the heat to low, let that simmer while you stir until thickened. Cut the heat, then add garlic and the kaffir lime bruised.

Banh Mi:

  1. Cut your baguettes into a 12” segment; then wrap them in foil and place them into a warm oven for 5 - 10 minutes. Next, cut your bread, so one side is connected.
  2. Generously spread mayonnaise on the inside of the bread. Add pork belly, cucumber slices, followed by a stack of pickled vegetables, spicy peppers, and a handful of fresh cilantro.