Sort of a Banh Mi - Recipe Review

I like banh mi.  So when I saw a recipe where I could make one at home without worrying about finding or, good heavens, making the pate I was very happy.  So I gathered my ingredients to make Shortcut Banh Mi With Pickled Carrots and Daikon form NY Times Cooking.


Most of the ingredients were easy to find.  In fact I had a couple in my house already.  But the daikon was a bit tricky.  I had to try several grocery stores until I found it.  And actually, the second time I made this recipe I couldn't find it at all.  I thought about using a different kind of radish or a parsnip or something but ending up just using more carrots and cucumbers instead.  And it was still delicious.

The recipe is also easy to make.  The hardest part is all the chopping.  But after you have chopped everything it is basically just adding everything to your skillet in the right order.  You do have to pickle the vegetables before you start cooking because they have to sit in the vinegar for a half hour at least so you want that going while you cook.  It is a very light pickle.  More like vegetables in a vinegar dressing but you still get the nice bite of a pickle without much time.

There is a little heat to it.  You put sriracha in the pork filling while you are cooking it.  Of course, if you don't like things spicy you can put less in.  I would suggest you don't leave it out completely though.  It does add a nice flavor.  You can always cut down on the heat by putting just a few slices of jalapeno on at the end.

Is it a banh mi? Not really.  But it says right on the recipe that authenticity was not the goal.  The result, however, is a delicious sandwich that gives you the feel of a banh mi.  I have used this recipe several times and will keep it on hand because I know I will want to use it again.