In a Hurry
You can use leftover pork and sausage from Hanoi Rice Noodles and Grilled Pork or, better still, marinate extra pork to cook fresh for these sandwiches at a later time.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1 3-inch section daikon radish, peeled and julienned
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ½ pound leftover pork and/or sausages from Hanoi Rice Noodles and Grilled Pork, sliced ¼ inch thick, plus leftover dipping sauce, or freshly marinated Boston butt (see headnote), thinly sliced
- 4 6-inch-long French rolls or pieces of baguette
- Mayonnaise
- Sriracha sauce (optional)
- 1 6-inch piece English cucumber, cut lengthwise into 8 very thin slices
- 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and thinly sliced on the bias (optional)
- 12 fresh cilantro sprigs
- 12 large fresh basil leaves (I use Thai or purple)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Vegetables: Toss together the carrots, daikon, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Let the vegetables pickle at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Rewarm the leftover pork and sliced sausage in the dipping sauce, or grill the marinated pork as directed in Hanoi Rice Noodles and Grilled Pork. Set aside.
- Warm the rolls in the oven to crisp up the crust and warm the inside, about 5 minutes.
- To assemble the sandwiches, cut the rolls in half. Slather each cut side with mayonnaise and drizzle over a little Sriracha (if using). Layer a cucumber slice on each side of each roll, then pile one quarter of the meat on one side. Top with the pickled vegetables (make sure to use tongs or a slotted spoon so as not to get too much liquid). Finally, place some of the sliced jalapeño (if using), 3 cilantro sprigs, and 3 basil leaves on one side of each sandwich. Put the rolls together, cut the sandwiches in half, and serve.
