And for a better taste in one's mouth:I roasted pork belly over the weekend, on a bed of terrace herbs and lemon slices. There was a lot left over, and half of that went into last night's banh mi, eaten on the terrace under a cool sky. The usual treatment: finely chopped ginger and shallots cooked with tamarind paste, shrimp paste, chopped peanuts, palm sugar and fish sauce, cooked with the chopped pork till caramelized. Cooled. Quick-pickled carrots and cabbage, cilantro, white rolls heated till crusty.
I'm impressed! Being Vietnamese myself, I can understand your love of this sandwich. Thanks for highlighting it!
ReplyDeleteI used to enjoy this (and a similar Thai version)before the shellfish intolerance hit me. I can make a modified version, but have to work around the shrimpy part. Even fish sauce usually has a prawn/oyster base. What to do! What to do!(A little shaving of smoked salmon for the fish taste ;-) )
ReplyDeleteThomas - if I'd know I'd have tried to be more authentic!
ReplyDeleteDinahmow - what about anchovies/garlic combo for shrimp paste substitute? Can't help with the fish sauce - how very sad...:-( That stinky, delicious fish sauce is impossible to reproduce. Aren't the good ones just feesh? Thomas?
But that's the beauty of this sandwich - as long as you have the herbs and quick pickled veggies, you can't go wrong!
ReplyDeleteI want that right now.
ReplyDeleteJen, you take the train from the east and i'll take the train from the south and we'll meet at Marie's to eat!!!
ReplyDelete