Cravings: Banh Mi

Grace Nguyen and Chad Newton of East Side Banh Mi share their recipe for Roasted Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi.

by

Husband and wife duo, Grace Nguyen and Chad Newton, opened East Side Bánh Mì on Gallatin Avenue in early August of 2020. Since then, the Vietnamese restaurant has become quite the hotspot for those looking to enjoy a quick, handheld meal in Nashville. 

Specializing in artisanal, locally-sourced bites and Vietnamese-style bánh mì sandwiches, East Side Bánh Mì serves up a menu of classics including a cold cut combo with ham hock terrine, pâté and smoked bologna, marinated and seared chopped steak, and impossible "pork” meatball—all on house-baked bread. 

We asked Nguyen and Newton to share one of their delicious bánh mì recipes, so that you can try to recreate the Vietnamese sandwich right in your own kitchen! See below for East Side Bánh Mì's Roasted Lemongrass Pork Bánh Mì recipe. 

Roasted Lemongrass Pork Bánh Mì

Courtesy of East Side Banh Mi

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

  • 2 ea. French baguettes, 8-10 inches long 
  • ½ pound roasted lemongrass pork*
  • 1 cup pickled vegetables**
  • 3 tablespoons mayo
  • 1 small cucumber sliced thin lengthwise
  • 1 small jalapeno sliced thin into rounds
  • ¼ bunch of cilantro, with the big stems removed
  • 6 dashes of Maggi (or soy sauce)
  • Fresh cracked black pepper 

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and put whole baguettes in unsliced for 5 minutes. Bread should be super crispy on the outside and inside should be steamy and warm.

To start assembly of the sandwich, slice open the baguette and slather the top and bottom with the mayo. Start layering from bottom to top of the sandwich making sure to layer evenly across the whole sandwich in this order: cucumber, meat, pickles, cilantro, jalapenos, 3 dashes of Maggi & a few cracks of black pepper.

Cut in half and eat right away. 

For Lemongrass Pork & Marinade: In a bowl mix 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 stalk lemongrass minced, 1 teaspoon black pepper,  1 shallot minced, and 1 Clove garlic minced. Pour over ½ pound of boneless pork shoulder sliced to 1 inch thick pieces and marinate for one hour at room temperature or refrigerated overnight for maximum flavor. Line a half sheet tray with parchment paper or foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Place pork on the oiled tray and roast at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or cooked fully through.

For Pickles: In a bowl mix together ¼ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup white sugar, 1 pinch of salt and stir to dissolve. Shred small carrots and ¼ pound of daikon radish and add it to the pickling liquid. Cover, refrigerate, and pickle for at least 30 minutes.