Bánh Mì

Ingredients

• 680g boneless pork shoulder
• 50g granulated sugar
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• about 2 lemongrass stalks, tender inner portions, minced
• 30ml fish sauce
• 15ml soy sauce
• 15ml oyster sauce
• 15ml neutral oil
• 1 medium daikon radish
• 1 medium carrot
• 5g salt
• 180ml white vinegar
• 100g granulated sugar
• 55g mayonnaise
• 55g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 medium or 2 small seedless cucumbers, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 4 bánh mì or short baguettes, warmed
• 4 fried eggs (optional)
• Seasoning sauce (optional), such as Maggi
• Cilantro, to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the pork: On a cutting board, cut pork into 5 to 7.5 cm chunks, then thinly slice them.
2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce; mix well. Add pork slices and turn to coat. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. While the pork is marinating, prepare the pickles: Peel daikon and carrot, then cut each into 3 mm-thick matchsticks. In a medium bowl, toss vegetables with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir together vinegar, sugar and 120 ml warm water until completely dissolved.
5. Rinse salted vegetables thoroughly under running water, then squeeze to remove excess moisture. Transfer the vegetables back to the same bowl, pour the vinegar mixture over them, and leave to pickle for 30 minutes. Drain before using.
6. When ready to cook the pork, arrange one oven rack 10 to 15 cm from the broiler and another in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 190 °C. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry. Set pork on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, toss with the oil and arrange in a single layer with space between pieces. Roast on the center rack until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Move the pan to the upper rack and broil the meat on high until browned and crisp in spots, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Remove pork from oven, and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice open warmed baguettes lengthwise. Spread each with mayonnaise and butter, then layer with pickles and cucumber slices.
8. Divide cooked pork among the four baguettes. If using fried eggs, add them to each sandwich, then sprinkle with seasoning sauce, if desired, and add cilantro to taste. Serve immediately.