Authentic Banh Mi Recipe with Lemongrass Pork

The first time I bit into this banh mi, standing outside a tiny shop in Hanoi at 6 AM, the crackly crust sent shards of bread literally everywhere. Worth it. The vendor laughed and handed me extra napkins.

I’ve spent 3 years tweaking this recipe to get that perfect balance of crispy bread, savory pork, and tangy pickled vegetables. The secret? Don’t skip the fish sauce. Trust me on this one.

Ingredients

For the Lemongrass Pork:

• 1¼ lb pork shoulder, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks lemongrass, minced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• ½ tsp pepper

For Assembly:

• 2 baguettes, halved
• 1 roll cha lua (Vietnamese pork roll), thinly sliced
• ¼ cup pate
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp cilantro
• 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup pickled carrots
• ¼ cup pickled daikon
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)

Steps

1. Prep all vegetables first: Thinly slice cucumbers, jalapeño, and cha lua. Store in fridge until ready to use.
2. Mix marinade for pork: Combine minced lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, and pepper in a bowl. Add pork and coat thoroughly. Marinate 30 minutes minimum (overnight is better).
3. Heat a grill pan or skillet over high heat until smoking. Cook pork slices 1-2 minutes per side until nicely browned.
4. Split baguettes lengthwise, leaving one side attached. Spread mayo on one side, pate on the other.
5. Layer in this order: pork, cha lua, cilantro, cucumbers, pickled vegetables, jalapeño.

Pro Tips

• Toast baguette for 2-3 minutes before filling
• Double the pickled vegetables – they keep for weeks
• Slice pork against the grain for maximum tenderness