Beef Banh Mi

Using the Crispy Garlic Butter Oil and Daikon Carrot Pickles which I made earlier, I prepared this tasty Beef Banh Mi or Vietnamese Sandwich filled with saute beef with onion. I topped it with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, basil, scallion, coriander, green chili, and it's delicious!





Beef Banh Mi

Ingredients

2 Pieces (about 600 grams) of Beef Sirloin or Ribeye Steak, thinly sliced
1 Large White or Yellow Onion, peeled & sliced
2 to 3 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 to 3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
2 to 3 Tbsp Sugar
Black Pepper
4 (About 6-inches) Vietnamese-Style Baguette
Crispy Garlic Butter Oil
Mayonnaise
Sriracha
Daikon & Carrot Pickles
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Red or Green Leaf Lettuce
Cilantro
Asian Basil
Green Chilies, sliced

Method

Heat a large cast-iron or non-stick pan over high heat until very hot. Add 1 Tbsp of crispy garlic butter oil to the pan, and a portion of the beef. Sauté the beef and mix a portion of onion. Season the beef with soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and some black pepper. When all the ingredients are sizzling fragrant and delicious,, remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Banh Mi/Sandwich: Lightly toast the baguette, sliced lengthwise, and hollow out the bread. Brush with crispy garlic butter and spread some mayonnaise. Fill one side of the baguette with lettuce, beef, daikon and carrot pickles. The fill the other side of the baguette with cucumber, tomatoes, and season with sriracha, black pepper and top with cilantro, basil, and green chilies. Sliced the sandwich into half, if desired. Serve the sandwich immediately.

Daikon And Carrot Pickles

These Dalkon And Carrot Pickles are often filled-in Banh Mi or Vietnamese Sandwiches. The sweet, sour, and crunchy vegetables are perfect to serve alongside BBQ or fried meat too.




Daikon And Carrot Pickles

Ingredients

2 Large Carrots, shredded
1 Small Daikon, shredded
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
3/4 Cup White Vinegar

Method

Combine sugar, water and vinegar in a bowl or measuring jug and mix well.

Combine daikon and carrots in a colander and rub with sea salt. Set aside for about 10 minutes. Then rinse with cold water, drain well and use a salad spinner to dry the vegetables. Alternatively, squeeze the vegetables with a muslin cloth until dry.

Place the vegetables in a large jar and pour in the vinegar mixture. Allow the vegetables to marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving. The pickles are best served chilled.

Fresh Spring Rolls With Grilled Lemongrass Shrimps

These Fresh Spring Rolls With Grilled Lemongrass Shrimps are delicious served with peanut sauce.





Fresh Spring Rolls With Grilled Lemongrass Shrimps

Ingredients

1 lb (18 to 20) Medium-Size Shrimps, peeled
1 Stalk Lemongrass, bruised
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Chili Flakes
2 tsp Peanut or Vegetable Oil
12 pieces Rice Paper
Asian-style Coleslaw
1 Cup Mint Leaves,
1 Cup Asian Basil
¼ Cup Fresh Coriander Leaves
1 Head Red Leaf Lettuce
1 ½ Cup Bean Sprouts, blanched
¼ Cup Chopped Peanuts, optional
Peanut Sauce, for dipping

Method

Combine the shrimp, lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, chili flakes and oil in a bowl. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.

Prepare the grill for direct heat. Grill the shrimp until just done, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimps and let cool slightly, and cut each shrimp in half, lengthwise.

Make the Spring Rolls: Filled a shallow pan with water. Briefly dip each sheet of rice paper into the water. Remove and place on a board and dry with a damp cloth. Arrange 3 pieces of shrimp halved, cut-side up. Place some coleslaw (below the shrimps) bean sprouts, mint leaves, coriander leaves, basil leaves, peanuts, and lettuce. Roll-up the rice paper, fold the sides, and roll-up tightly, and pressing to seal.

Lemongrass Beef And Shrimp Burger

This is a delicious Asian-inspired burger, served with Asian style coleslaw and Lemongrass Aioli. The combination of beef and shrimp, together with lemongrass, galangal, and chili makes this an exciting change from the traditional beef burger. Do give this recipe a try on your next BBQ.





Lemongrass Beef And Shrimp Burger

Ingredients

500 grams Ground Beef
150 grams, Peeled Shrimps, chopped
1 Tbsp Peanut or Vegetable Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped
1 ½ tsp Minced Garlic
¾ tsp Ground Lemongrass
½ tsp Ground Galangal
1 tsp Chili Flakes
2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Large Egg
1 tsp Sea Salt

4 Burger Buns
Lemongrass Aioli
Asian Style Coleslaw
Some Fresh Coriander
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a pan over moderate heat. Add the onion and stir until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Combine the ground beef, shrimps, cooked onion, garlic, egg, lemongrass, galangal, chili flakes, sugar, and fish sauce. Let the mixture marinate in the fridge for about 2 hours. When ready to serve, divide the meat into 4 equal patties. Shape the patties slightly bigger than the size of the burger buns.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking. Grill the patties for about 3 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked. Meanwhile, toast the buns lightly and set side. To serve, spread some lemongrass aioli, place the burger patty on the bun, top with Asian style coleslaw, freshly ground black pepper, and coriander. Serve immediately.

Grilled Lemongrass Lamb Chops

Succulent, Grilled Lemongrass Lamb Chops served with homemade lemongrass aioli.





Grilled Lemongrass Lamb Chops

Ingredients

8 Rib Lamb Chops, trimmed off excess fat

Marinate
3 Cloves Garlic, skin-on
2 Lemongrass Stalks, cut into smaller pieces, bruised
1 Green/Serrano Chili, seeded and chopped
½ tsp Ground Coriander
½ tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Chili Flakes
½ tsp Sea Salt
½ of a Large Lime
2 to 3 Tbsp of Peanut Oil

Lime wedges
Lemongrass Aioli

Method

In a pestle mortar or a food processor, coarsely pound or process together the lemongrass, garlic and green chili. Add in the chili flakes, ground coriander, ground cumin, sea salt, lime juice with the skin, and the peanut oil, and mix well.

Rub the marinade into the lamb chops and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Remove the lamb chops from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat. Grill the lamb chops to your desired doneness. Remove the chops from the grill and let rest for about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with lime wedges and lemongrass aioli.

Lemongrass Aioli

This refreshing citrus fragrance Lemongrass Aioli is a great accompaniment to many Asian styles grilled meat and seafood.





Lemongrass Aioli

Ingredients

1 Lemongrass Stalk, cut into smaller pieces
8 Tbsp of Peanut Oil
1 Large Egg Yolk
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Green/Serrano Chili, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp of Fresh Chopped Coriander/Cilantro
1 tsp Sugar
Zest of ½ Lime
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
½ tsp Sea Salt

Method

Make the Lemongrass infused oil: Bruise the lemongrass stalk with cleaver, meat mallet or in a mortar and pestle until the pieces starting to come apart, then add the peanut oil. Let the oil infuse with the lemongrass for about 20 minutes.

Once the oil is infused, strain it using a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring jug. Reserved the lemongrass for basting. Add extra oil and mix well.

Place all the ingredients, including the infused oil in a small blender. Blend until you have achieved a thick, velvety aioli.

Vietnamese Summer Roll Salad

When I came across the idea of a Vietnamese summer roll salad on Tasty Kitchen I immediately knew that I would have to try it! Vietnamese summer rolls, goi cuon, consist of meat, vegetables, rice noodles and fresh herbs that are rolled up in rice paper and served at room temperate, without deep frying, accompanied by a dipping sauce. I like to make my summer rolls with shrimp along with plenty of fresh vegetables like cucumber, peppers, carrots, lettuce, bean sprouts, etc and fresh herbs like basil, mint and cilantro and since they are served at room temperature or even cool, it makes them a truly amazing treat on hot summer days. Vietnamese summer rolls are usually served with a dipping sauce the most common of which are a fish sauce based nuoc cham or a Vietnamese style spicy peanut and hoisin sauce. As you can see these summer rolls are practically already just salads wrapped up in rice paper so it is pretty easy to transform the rolls into a salad and to change the dipping sauce into a dressing and I did just that for this salad!

Read the recipe »

Lemongrass Shrimp Banh Mi

Lemongrass Shrimp Banh Mi

Ingredients

1 lb Shrimps, shelled and tail-off
2 Stalks Lemongrass, finely chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Chili Flakes
¼ tsp Sea Salt

3 to 4 Tbsp Peanut Oil

4 (About 6-inches) Vietnamese-Style Baguette
Cilantro
Green Chilies, sliced
Mayonnaise

Asian Coleslaw {recipe as follow}

Method

Lemongrass Shrimp: Mix the lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, chili flakes, salt, and 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the shrimp and marinate for about 20 minutes. When ready to serve, heat a large cast-iron pan over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of peanut oil. Add the shrimp and fry both side until fully cooked. Remove from the heat and set aside

Banh Mi/Sandwich: Lightly toast the baguette and spread some mayonnaise, and fill with shrimps, coleslaw, cilantro, and green chilies. Serve immediately.


Asian Coleslaw

Ingredients

454g/16oz/1 lb Mix Slaw (green & red cabbage, carrot)

4 Tbsp Finely Diced Red Onion
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
3 Bird’s Eye Chilies, chopped

4 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
4 Tbsp Sugar

5 Tbsp Fish Sauce
¼ tsp Sea Salt, or to taste

Method

Heat the vinegar and sugar in a small pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sugar has melted and then remove from the heat. Pour the syrup over the slaw and season well with salt. Toss everything together, and chilled before serving.

Banh Mi Chicken Salad

Salads are always a great way to get more vegetables into your diet and I am always looking for creative ways of turning salads into light meals. Not too long ago I came across the idea of a banh mi salad on A Spicy Perspective which sounded pretty amazing given how much of a fan of banh mi sandwiches that I am and the salad would definitely eat like a meal! This salad starts out with a base of lettuce to which is added common elements of banh mi sandwiches such as cool and juicy cucumbers, sweet and salty pickled carrots and daikon radish and spicy birds eye chilies for heat. Of course this salad would not really be a light meal without some protein and chicken is always a great way to go for salads. I have always enjoyed using meat cooked in a Vietnamese caramel sauce that nicely blends aspects of sweetness, saltiness, sourness and spiciness in my banh mi sandwiches so a Vietnamese caramel chicken was definitely the way to go. With all of this the banh mi salad was just about ready; it just needed an insanely tasty banh mi dressing and the dressing had to include the final aspects of a banh mi sandwich such as the mayonnasie. (See below for the dressing.) This salad takes a bit of work to make from scratch but it is definitely worth the effort and you can make things easier by making some of the sub-recipes a day or more ahead of time. The final result is one extremely tasty salad that truly does remind you of a banh mi sandwich!

Read the recipe »

Vietnamese Style Spicy Caramel Chicken Wings

Last year when I visited Portland I got the chance to stop by Pok Pok to try their chicken wings, which were very good, and I remember thinking that I would have to try making them at home. When I made the buffalo wings the other day I recalled this thought and I could not resist making them for snacking on while watching the game. As it turns out there are several versions of the recipe online and they reminded me of a Vietnamese style savoury caramel sauce which I use fairly frequently and spicy caramel chicken wings sounded fantastic! The Vietnamese style savoury caramel sauce weaves a perfect blend of salty, sweet, sour, spicy by making a caramel and instead of adding cream or water it uses salty fish sauce, sour lime juice and spicy chilies or chili sauce along with some garlic for flavour. For the recipe, I decided to go with this simple savoury caramel sauce which I marinated the chicken wings in and then reduced it to thicken to toss the wings in and glaze them after baking. When I think chicken wings, I think spicy so I loaded up on the sriracha and the wings turned out super tasty and perfectly hot and spicy! The only real problem that I had was that the thick caramel sauce was a little sticky and messy but hey, they wouldn't be chicken wings without a little mess! These Vietnamese style spicy caramel chicken wings will make an excellent addition to my lineup of snacks for the big game!

Read the recipe »

Bánh Xèo (Savoury Vietnamese Crepes Stuffed with Shrimp and Mushrooms)

With summer here fresh herbs are more readily available and that means that it was time for me to try making bánh xèo. Bánh xèo are savoury Vietnamese crepes that are stuffed with various fillings and served wrapped in lettuce leaves along with plenty of fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. The name bánh xèo translates to sizzling cake and this is because the crepes are cooked at a higher temperature and sizzle when the batter hits the pan. Cooking the crepes this way gives them a slightly crispy edge. Despite the fact that these crepes look like an omelette they are actually not made with eggs but rather a rice batter where the yellow colour comes from turmeric powder. I decided to keep my bánh xèo on the lighter side and I stuffed them with some quickly sauteed shrimp and shiitake mushrooms along with a healthy helping of bean sprouts and I served them with lettuce, mint, cilantro, basil and a tasty nuoc cham for dipping.

Read the recipe »

Vietnamese Caramel Salmon Banh Mi

I recently realized that it has been quite a while since I last did anything with seafood which is kind of disappointing considering how much I enjoy it. In order to resolve the problem I pulled out this idea for a Vietnamese style caramel salmon banh mi which has been on the back of my mind for even longer. When I first came across the idea of using caramel in a savoury dish in Vietnamese cuisine I was immediately curious and tried it only to be surprised at how well it really does work! I have been using the Vietnamese style caramel sauce ever since, using it in a number of dishes and I figured that it would go really well on creamy salmon and that that would go well in a tasty banh mi sandwich!

Read the recipe »

Pho Ga~Chicken Noodle Soup

“Pho (pronounced ‘fir’) is the quintessential Vietnamese dish, traditionally made with beef broth but there are many variations too. Here, I have a recipe for Pho Ga or Chicken Noodle Soup. This delicious herby soup takes a while to make, but, with very little effort though. Try this easy soup noodle recipe and serve with a plate of fresh herbs, chopped chili, and slices of lime on the side.

Pho Ga~Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

300 g Rice Noodles (cooked as per manufacturer’s instructions)
2 Pieces Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breasts, blanched
Bean Sprouts, lightly blanched
1 Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Asian/Thai Basil
Fresh Coriander Leaves
Red or Thai Chilies, sliced
Lime Wedges

Fish Sauce, if necessary

Soup Base

1 ½ Kg Chicken Carcass and Legs, blanched
12 Cups Water
1 Yellow Onion, charred, and peeled
1 Piece Ginger (about 2 ½ inches), charred, and peeled
1 Small Daikon, chopped
4 Star Anise, toasted
4 Whole Cloves, toasted
1 Pc Cassia Bark, toasted
15 White Peppercorns, toasted
5 Tbsp Fish Sauce
35 g Rock Sugar
Sea Salt, to taste

Method

Make the soup base; combine the chicken bones and legs, onion, ginger, daikon, star anise, cloves, Cassia bark, and peppercorns, in a large stockpot. Bring the stock to a boil, lower the heat, skimming frequently, and simmer for about 1 ½ hour.

Strain the stock into another pot and mix in the fish sauce, rock sugar, and the blanched chicken breast. Bring it back to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the chicken breast, and let cool before shredding the meat. Continue to simmer the soup for another 20 minutes, and then season the soup with sea salt.

To serve; divide the cooked rice noodles among 6 bowls. Top each with the broth, chicken meat, herbs, bean sprouts, onion, chilies, lime wedges, and some fish sauce, if desired.

Serves 6

Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

I'm currently hooked on this Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi. I have already made them twice this week, kids love it as well. It's really that good. The slightly toasted Vietnamese-style baguette is filled with aromatic chicken, pickled cucumber and carrot, plenty of fresh herbs, such as Asian basil, coriander, and Ngo Gai. Do have a go at this Vietnamese inspired sandwich recipe and tell me what you think.


Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

Ingredients

6 (About 720 g) Boneless Chicken Thighs, cut each thigh in half
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Sauce
3 Stalks Lemongrass, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
2 Green Chilies, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp Sesame Oil

6 (About 6-inches) Vietnamese-Style Baguette
Assorted Herbs
Green Chilies, sliced
Pickled Carrot & Cucumber

Pickled Cucumber and Carrot
1/3-Cup Rice Vinegar
1/3 Cup White Sugar
½ tsp Sea Salt
2 Carrot, julienned/shredded
1 Cucumber, julienned/shredded
1 Thai Bird’s Eye Chili, chopped

Method

Pickled Cucumber & Carrot: Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and sea salt in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil until the sugar dissolved and let cool to room temperature. Place the carrot, cucumber, and chilies in a mixing bowl and add in the sugar and vinegar mixture. Chill for about 20 minutes before serving.

Spicy Lemongrass Chicken: Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and black pepper. Heat a large cast-iron pan over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of peanut oil. Add the chicken and fry both side until golden brown. Turn the heat to medium and mix in the sauce, press down the chicken meat with a spatula, and continue to cook until the sauce thicken and become caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before slicing.

Sandwich: Lightly toast the baguette and fill with chicken slices with its sauce, pickles, green chili, and assorted herbs. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Banh Mi Burgers with Vietnamese Caramel BBQ Sauce

The long weekend was the perfect time to get some grilling done and I took full advantage of it! Burgers were on the top of my list of things to grill but I wanted to try something a little different. The last time that I made a banh mi sandwich I remembered thinking that a burger with all of the flavours and condiments of a banh mi sandwich would be a good idea.

I decided to go with pork as the meat and I built the flavour using ingredients from my favourite Vietnamese dishes including garlic, ginger, fish sauce, cilantro, green onions and a birds eye chili for some heat. I have been hooked on Vietnamese caramel shrimp ever since I discovered it and I find that the sweet and savoury caramel sauce works particularly well in a banh mi sandwich and I could not resist making a caramel sauce to both use in the patties and to smother the burgers in. I finished the burgers off with some pickled carrots and daikon radish, cool and juicy cucumbers, spicy jalapenos, cilantro and mayonnaise to complete the medley of flavours.



The banh mi style burgers turned out amazingly well! In addition to being super easy to make they tasted fantastic! I really enjoyed the combinations of flavours and all of the fresh ingredients were definitely fit for summer. I served the burgers with a side of mayoless sesame and ginger coleslaw.

Banh Mi Burgers

Pork burgers filled with the fresh flavours of Vietnamese banh mi sandwich.

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon cramel sauce (see below)
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 birds eye chili, sliced
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce (see below)
• 4 buns
• 1/2 cup pickled carrots and daikon radish
• 12 slices cucumber
• 2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
• cilantro to taste
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise

Directions

1. Mix the pork, garlic, ginger, green onion, cilantro, fish sauce, caramel sauce, lime zest and jalapeno.
2. Form the mixture into 4 patties.
3. Grill over medium heat until cooked, about 4-6 minutes per side.
4. Assemble burgers and enjoy.

Vietnamese Caramel BBQ Sauce

A Vietnamese caramel sauce seasoned with fish sauce, lime juice and shallots

Servings: makes 1/4 cup

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablsepoons water
• 2 tablsepoons water
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 lime (juice)
• 1 birds eye chili, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Melt the sugar into the water over medium heat and simmer until it turns a deep golden brown.
2. Mix the water, fish sauce and lime juice and carefully add the water, heating until the caramel dissolves.
3. Add the chili, garlic and shallots and simmer to reduce by half, about 3-5 minutes.
4. mix the cornstarch into the water, mix it into the sauce and simmer until it thickens, about a minute.

Similar Recipes:
Vietnamese BBQ Pulled Pork Banh Mi
Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp Banh Mi
Thai Peanut Turkey Burger
Cuban Burgers
Vietnamese Caramel Salmon Banh Mi
Pad Thai Shrimp Burgers

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

Summer is here and that means that it is time to get some more grilling on! Up first, I thought that I would start with a light dish in the form of some Vietnamese style grilled lemongrass chicken. The chicken is marinated in a marinade that focuses on some amazingly fragrant lemongrass which as its name suggests has the aroma of lemons. The marinade builds up it flavour with shallots, garlic and ginger and then adds aspects of sweet, salty and spicy in the form of sugar, fish sauce and chilies. After being coated in the marinade the chicken is then left to chill out in the fridge to absorb all of the flavours of the marinade. If you are short on time you can cut the marinade time down but the longer the chicken has to marinate the better and ideally this should be done the night before.



With a few minutes of grilling the chicken is ready. This lemongrass grilled chicken makes for a great appetizer when served with some nuoc cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce. Cucumbers or even simple pickled cucumbers are a great way to cleanse the palate in between bites.



With summer here now, what are your favourite skewered grilled meat dishes?

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

Fragrant lemongrass chicken grilled on a stick.

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and chopped
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 birds eye chili, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Directions

1. Mash the lemongrass, shallot, garlic, ginger and chili in a mortar and pestle.
2. Mix the mashed mixture and the sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce and oil and marinate the chicken for at least an hour, covered in the fridge.
3. Skewer the chicken and grill over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.

If you are looking for something a little more substantial you can easily add the lemongrass chicken to a salad and a Vietnamese style rice vermicelli salad is the perfect way to do it. This salad starts with a base of the lemon grass chicken and rice vermicelli and then it fills out with fresh vegetables including lettuce, carrots, cucumber and beansprouts. Of course there just had to be a healthy dose of fresh herbs and this time I went with mint, though cilantro or basil would also be perfectly at home in this salad as well. For the 'dressing' I went with nuoc cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce which is particularly nice with its balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy.

Lemongrass Chicken Rice Vermicelli Salad

Grilled lemongrass chicken served over a rice noodle salad with vegetables tossed in a Vietnamese dipping sauce style dressing.

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 (ounces) rice vermicelli, cooked as directed on the package
• 1 batch lemongrass chicken, warm
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1/2 cup carrot, shredded
• 1/2 cup cucumber, shredded
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup mint
• 1/4 cup Vietnamese dipping sauce (nuoc cham)

Directions

1. Assemble salad and enjoy.

Similar Recipes:
Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Grilled Tandoori Chicken
Dakkochi (Korean Skewered Chicken)
Yakitori
Sweet Chili Chicken Salad
Vietnamese Caramelized Chicken
Moroccan Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

One important element of Vietnamese cuisine is nuoc cham or a Vietnamese dipping sauce. Nuoc cham is a fish sauce based dipping sauce that deftly balances sweet, salty and sour aspects and it is really easy to make at home. The basic recipe includes fish sauce, water, sugar and lime juice and chilies and garlic are often added as well. The few minutes that it take to make your own nuoc cham are definitely worth is and when you make your own, you can make it with your prefect balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy.

Nuoc cham is served with many different dishes including summer rolls.

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

A Vietnamese fish sauce based dipping sauce.

Servings: makes 1 cup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 birds eye chili, chopped
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 lime, juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. Mix everything.

Serve with:
Crab Summer Rolls with Cashew Butter Dipping Sauce
Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
Vietnamese Summer Roll Salad

Similar Recipes:
Thai Spicy Peanut Sauce
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Vietnamese Peanut and Hoisin Dressing

Spicy Pork Bulgogi Banh Mi

A few weeks ago when I made the porchetta I needed a 2 pound pork shoulder bu the smallest that I could get was a 4 pounder so I cut it in half and froze the extra. Since I have been trying to clear some space in the freezer lately I wanted to use it soon and as luck would have it I had just the thing in mind! I have been into banh mi sandwiches lately and while I was enjoying the last one, a Vietnamese BBQ pulled pork banh mi, I remembered thinking that it would probably work with other kinds of meat and in particular daeji bulgogi, a Korean spicy BBQ pork.

For this Vietnamese and Korean fusion sandwich, I went with some Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon radish and some kimchi in addition to the spicy Korean BBQ pork as fillers. I wanted to go with a mayonnaise that had a hit of Korean flavour but I was torn between two; a spicy gochujang mayo and a sesame mayo, and in the end I decided to just go with both. The spicy pork bulgogi banh mi turned out really well! The sweet and spicy marinated pork went particularly well with the Vietnamese pickles and the mayo helped tame the heat of both the pork and the kimchi. I am glad that I went with both of the tasty mayonnaises and I liked that all of the pickles helped cut through their creaminess cleansing your palate so that you were ready for the next bite. I am looking forward to enjoying some more of these sandwiches!

Spicy Pork Bulgogi Banh Mi

Korean bulgogi, BBQ, pork done Vietnamese banh mi style with Vietnamese pickled daikon radish & carrots, kimchi, gochujang mayo and sesame mayo.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 baguette, cut into 4 sandwich sized pieces and sliced in half
• 1 pound daeji bulgogi (Korean spicy BBQ pork), warm
• 1 batch Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon radish
• 1/2 cup kimchi
• 1/4 cup gochujang mayo (see below)
• 1/4 cup sesame mayo (see below)
• 1/2 cup cilantro

Directions

1. Assemble the sandwiches and enjoy!

Similar Recipes:
Vietnamese BBQ Pulled Pork Banh Mi
Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp Banh Mi
Shrimp Po’ Boy
Korean BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Spicy Pork Bulgogi and Beans Burrito
Vietnamese Caramel Salmon Banh Mi

Gochujang Mayo

Mayonnaise with a spicy kick from gochujang, a Korean fermented chili bean paste

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 1 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon gochujang

Directions

1. Mix until smooth.

Sesame Mayo

Mayonnaise flavoured with toasted sesame seeds.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

Directions

1. Mix everything.

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

I think Vietnamese food is just awesome. So, today, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite, this fantastic Vietnamese inspired Grilled Lemongrass Chicken. I love the simple taste of the charcoal smoked grilled chicken, infused with the aromatic flavor from the lemongrass. The grilled chicken bites are best enjoyed with lots of crisp lettuce leaves, mint leaves, Asian basil, shredded cucumber, carrots, and Vietnamese dipping sauce. Just ensure you have plenty of napkins as this is a fun DIY hands-on meal. Grab a cold beer or a glass of wine and enjoy!


Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

Ingredients

4 (850 g) Chicken Breast, lightly pounded and cubed (about ¾ inch)
4 Stalks Lemongrass, minced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 (60 g) Shallots, minced
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

2 tsp Chili Flakes

3 Tbsp Fish Sauce

1 tsp Sea Salt
3 Tbsp Peanut Oil

20 Bamboo Skewers, soaked in the water for 1 hour
 or metal skewers
Peanut or Vegetable Oil
Lettuce Leaves
Mint Leaves
Asian Basil
Cucumber, shredded
Carrots, shredded

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
6 Thai Chilies, chopped
6 Tbsp Sugar
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
6 – 8 Tbsp Fish Sauce
¾ to 1 Cup of Warm Water
Some shredded carrots

Method

Combine the chicken, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, sugar, oyster sauce, chili flakes, fish sauce, oil, and sea salt in a bowl. Refrigerate the chicken mixture for about 3 hours.



Light up the charcoal or prepare the gas grill for direct cooking over medium heat.


Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto each skewer. Grill and baste with additional oil until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve warm with lettuce leaves, Asian basil, mint leaves, cucumber, carrots, and Vietnamese dipping sauce.

Vietnamese BBQ Pulled Pork Banh Mi

Ever since I picked up a slow cooker, I have been addicted to pulled pork! The slow cooker turns out perfectly cooked pulled pork every time that is nice and juicy and tender. What's more is that it is dead easy to make pulled pork given that you can simply put the pork into the slow cooker in the morning and let it work its magic while you are at work. Recently I have been trying new flavours with BBQ pulled pork and while I was enjoying some Vietnamese caramel shrimp banh mi recently, I got the crazy idea to try a Vietnamese pulled pork banh mi.

The first step in creating the Vietnamese pulled pork banh mi was coming up with the 'BBQ' sauce. I particularly enjoy the Vietnamese savoury caramel sauce like the one used in Vietnamese caramel shrimp and I wanted to use that as the base of the BBQ sauce. From there I added some typical Vietnamese flavours including some salty fish sauce, some tart lime juice and some birds eye chilies for a kick of spicy heat. Once I had the BBQ sauce made it was a simple matter of throwing the pork into the slow cooker along with some of the BBQ sauce to cook while I went off to work.

Armed with my Vietnamese pulled pork it was a simple matter of making the banh mi sandwiches. Of course the next step was to make some quick Vietnamese carrot and radish pickles. From there I assembled the sandwiches with the pulled pork in a baguette with lots of fresh ingredients and a touch of mayonnaise. The Vietnamese pulled pork was amazingly tasty with an excellent balance of sweet, salty, tart, and spicy hot. The juicy cucumbers and pickles worked really well with the tasty BBQ pulled pork cleansing the palette leaving you ready to enjoy more of the BBQ pulled pork in the next bite.

Vietnamese BBQ Pulled Pork Banh Mi

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 baguette (cut into 4 sandwich sized lengths and sliced in half)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pound Vietnamese BBQ Pulled Pork (see below)
1/4 cup pickled daikon radish
1/4 cup pickled carrots
1/2 cup cucumber (thinly sliced)
1 large handfull cilantro
2 birds eye chilies (sliced, optional)

Directions:
1. Assemble sandwiches and enjoy.

Vietnamese BBQ Pulled Pork

(makes 4+ servings)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 lime (juice)
2 birds eye chilies (sliced)
1 (3 pound) pork butt

Directions:
1. Heat the sugar in a pan on medium-high heat until it melts, caramelizes and turns a light golden brown.
2. Carefully add the water and heat until the caramel dissolves.
3. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and chilies and simmer to reduce by half, about 6-10 minutes.
4. Put the pork in the slow cooker, pour 1/2 of the 'bbq' sauce over it and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
5. Remove the pork from the slow cooker, let cool and then shred with a pair of forks.
6. Skim the fat from the juices, place them in a sauce pan along with the remaining 'bbq' sauce, simmer to reduce to 1 cup and mix into the shredded pork.

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Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp Banh Mi
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Spicy Pork Bulgogi Banh Mi
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