Asian-style meatball banh mi

We're almost halfway through 2015 and here I am , still haven't made a dent in my ever growing list of to-do recipes *sigh* It doesn't help that I lurk at the local library online catalogue several times a week and new cookbooks keep popping up ugh !

Anyway , making Vietnamese sandwich wasn't on list but I stumbled upon this simple meatball banh mi recipe from Epicurious and I have almost all ingredients on hand .... I tweaked it a bit and renamed it , you guess it right , Asian-style meatballs lol 

Assembling your own banh mi is quiet easy and you can use any bread that is available to you , don't mind the banh mi purist , it's your own darn sandwich anyway ! Adding the pickled daikon and carrots though is a must , it adds a delicious flavor and texture to this Vietnamese-style sandwich . Making it is a breeze , this tangy-sweet condiment is not only great in banh mi but also wonderful as an accompaniment to grilled chicken/pork/beef/fish or any fried dishes . Remember that daikon has this odd / stinky smell so if make this pickles don't forget to close the container tightly before putting it somewhere ( I like it chilled so I put it in the fridge ) or else somebody will caught a whiff of it and think that someone has farted hee hee !

Please check original recipe @ Epicurious 

Hot chili mayo :

1/2 cup mayo 

2 tablespoon chopped spring onion 

2 teaspoons hot chili sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Thai sweet chili sauce 

* Combine ingredients and chill in the fridge until needed .

Asian-style meatballs : Makes 30 meatballs

300 grams ground pork 

200 grams ground beef 

1/4 cup / 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons chopped spring onions

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons hot chili sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 egg 

1/4 cup / 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper 

salt , to taste 

* Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl , adjust taste . You can chill the mixture in the fridge before cooking or you can pan-fry meatballs right away . You can make this 1 day ahead . 

* Moistened hands and roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs . Heat a non-stick pan over medium-heat, add some oil , when oil is hot , cook meatballs in batches , until brown and cooked through , turning often to prevent burning , about 15 minutes . Keep warm in the oven at 300°F , if prefer . Freeze leftover meatballs and steam for 5 minutes over high heat before consuming .

Vietnamese daikon and carrot pickles : Please check original recipe @ Viet World Kitchen

Makes 2 cups

250 grams ( peeled weight ) daikon , cut into matchsticks

250 grams ( peeled weight ) carrot , cut into matchsticks 

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt 

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar plus 1/3 cup sugar 

1 cup distilled vinegar
3/4 cup lukewarm water

* Place daikon and carrots in a mixing bowl , sprinkle with salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar . Massage or knead the vegetables for about 3 minutes , stop kneading if you can bend a piece of daikon at both ends without breaking it in half . Drain the vegetables and rinse under cold running water , drain well , set aside .

* To make the brine , combine 1/3 cup sugar , vinegar and water , stir until sugar is dissolved . Place the vegetables into a glass container and pour over the brine mixture . Cover tightly and chill in the fridge for 1 hour before using . You can make this 1 day ahead .

4 5-inch crusty bread 

1 small cucumber , cut into thin slices 

1 red jalapeno , cut into thin slices
some cilantro leaves

To assemble the bahn mi :

* Cut a 5-inch bread in half horizontally ( but not all the way through ) , pull out some crumbs to hollow out the bottom part ( both sides , if prefer ) and spread some chili mayo on it . Place 4 meatballs , top with cucumber slices , jalapeno slices , drained pickles then garnish with some cilantro leaves . Repeat with the rest , depending on how many bahn mi you want to make .