Dinner · Lunch · Pork

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

Vietnamese-style sandwiches: juicy pork meatballs, quick-pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeño in a crusty roll.

⏱ 45 min (25 min prep, 20 min cooking) 🍽 Serves 4 · 1 sandwich freezer friendlyleftovers dairy free
📅 Add to my plan

ContainsEggs, Fish, Wheat. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 4 servings

  • Quick pickles

  • 2 Carrots, cut in thin matchsticks
  • ½ cup Rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp Table salt

  • Meatballs

  • 1 lb Ground pork
  • 2 Green onions, finely chopped
  • 2 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 tbsp Fish sauce
  • 1 tsp Granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs

  • To serve

  • 1 loaf French bread, cut in 4 lengths and split
  • 3 tbsp Mayonnaise
  • ½ Cucumber, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Fresh cilantro, sprigs
  • 1 Jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

Make it yourself

Make the panko-style crumbs yourself → Make the french bread and baguettes yourself → Make the mayonnaise yourself →

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: rimmed baking sheet, mixing bowls, instant-read thermometer.

  1. Stir the vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the carrots and set aside at least 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
  2. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
  3. Mix the pork, green onions, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sugar and panko with your hands just until combined. Roll into 16 balls about 1 1/2 inches across and set them on the sheet. Wash your hands.
  4. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until browned and an instant-read thermometer in the center of a meatball reads 160°F.
  5. Toast the bread lightly and spread the insides with mayonnaise. Fill each with 4 meatballs (halve them if you like), drained pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeño.

🌡 Safe temperaturesGround pork or pork sausage 160°F. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer (USDA). More on food safety.

Make aheadPickle the carrots up to 5 days ahead. Shape the meatballs up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge.
❄️ FreezerFreeze baked meatballs on a tray, then bag them, for 3 to 4 months. Reheat from frozen in a 375°F oven to 165°F.
↺ LeftoversServe leftover meatballs and pickles over rice for lunch; reheat the meatballs to 165°F.
🧒 With kidsLeave off the jalapeño. Many kids like the meatballs and carrots in a small roll.
Gluten-free swapUse gluten-free crumbs, fish sauce and bread, or serve the meatballs over rice.

Goes well with

🍇 Rainbow Fruit Salad

Good to know

Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt Fresh vs. dried herbs Food Safety Basics

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.

@teddyrookbook GitHub Sources and credits