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The Sandwich 100 · make it at home

Bánh mì thịt (the mixed pork bánh mì)

1 hr, plus 1 hr for the pickles · 4 sandwiches

A light, crackly Vietnamese baguette spread with pâté and mayonnaise, layered with cold cuts or grilled pork, quick pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, chili and herbs. Every bite is soft, crisp, rich and sharp at once.

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The real one

You need

• 4 Vietnamese-style baguettes (light, thin crust) or soft French rolls
• For the pickles: 1 carrot and 1/2 small daikon, cut in matchsticks, 120 ml (1/2 cup) rice vinegar, 120 ml (1/2 cup) warm water, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt
• For grilled pork: 400 g (14 oz) pork shoulder, sliced thin, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 cloves garlic and 1 shallot, minced, 1 stalk lemongrass, minced, 1 tbsp oil
• Or cold cuts: 200 g Vietnamese pork roll (chả lụa) and ham, sliced
• 4 tbsp pork or chicken liver pâté
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise (Kewpie works well)
• 1 cucumber, cut in long strips, a bunch of cilantro, 2 red chilies, sliced
• Maggi seasoning or soy sauce

How to make it

1. Pickle (10 min, then 1 hr): Dissolve the sugar and salt in the warm water and vinegar, add the carrot and daikon and leave at least 1 hour.
2. Marinate and grill the pork (30 min): Mix the pork with the fish sauce, sugar, garlic, shallot, lemongrass and oil, leave 20 minutes, then cook in a very hot pan or on a grill until charred at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes a side.
3. Crisp the bread (4 min): Warm the baguettes in a 200 C (400 F) oven 3 to 4 minutes until the crust crackles. Split them along one side.
4. Spread (2 min): Spread pâté on one side and mayonnaise on the other.
5. Fill: Layer the pork (or cold cuts), a few drops of Maggi, drained pickles, cucumber, cilantro and chilies. Eat right away.

Tips

• The bread should be light and airy; a dense baguette fights the fillings.
• Make the pickles in bulk; they keep 2 weeks in the fridge.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.