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 . 

Comments

  1. I have never had a banh mi and I desperately need one right now. These look so inviting, Anne.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Anne, your this meatballs burger look like to die for... really superb! Can send some over, please. LOL
    Nice click, well done. Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe.

    Have a wonderful day ahead,regards.
    Amelia

    ReplyDelete
  3. My list to-do recipes is also still growing, amonng them are some yours also:)
    the sandwich looks very nice!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love banh mi! When we visited Vietnam last year, we always have banh mi for snacks, it's super yummy. I'd love to try the pickle recipe one day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It might sounds so simple, but your tip on how to keep stinky daikon is very practical:) I love your very appetizing daikon and carrot pickle...I will have to do some soon! In our house, nothing gets left over...so I don't need to worry about keeping them LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  6. 我们的食谱总是长之又长啊
    我也是太多想要做的

    这个对我来说很新鲜啊
    好喜欢哟
    感觉很丰盛呢

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Anne,
    I love your Asian style meat ball! And I love your carrot and daikon pickles too!
    And I would love to drop by for tea :D
    mui

    ReplyDelete

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