Vietnamese Banh Mi Thit Nuong: Grilled Pork Rolls for Packed Lunches

Whisk the fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, lemongrass, oil and black pepper in a bowl. Add the sliced pork, turn to coat, and marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450g) pork shoulder, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemongrass, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1 cup (100g) daikon radish, julienned
• 1/2 cup (120ml) rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 small baguettes or Vietnamese rolls
• 1/4 cup (60g) mayonnaise
• 1 cucumber, cut into long spears, and a handful of cilantro sprigs

Instructions

1. Whisk the fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, lemongrass, oil and black pepper in a bowl. Add the sliced pork, turn to coat, and marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Make the pickles: dissolve the granulated sugar in the rice vinegar with a pinch of salt, add the carrot and daikon, and press them under the liquid. Let sit at least 30 minutes; they keep two weeks refrigerated.
3. Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet over medium-high until it just begins to smoke. Cook the pork in a single layer, undisturbed, for 3 minutes per side, until the sugars caramelize into dark, lacquered edges.
4. Rest the pork on a board for 5 minutes, then slice it into bite-sized strips so it packs neatly and stays tender when cold.
5. Split the baguettes lengthwise without cutting all the way through and pull out a little of the soft interior to make room for the filling.
6. Spread mayonnaise on both cut sides, then layer in the pork, a generous tangle of drained pickles, cucumber spears and cilantro.
7. Wrap each roll tightly in parchment and twist the ends. The wrap presses the sandwich together so it holds its shape in a backpack all morning.
8. For meal prep, cook the pork and pickle the vegetables on Sunday and store them separately; assemble each roll the night before or in two minutes at breakfast.
9. Banh mi is Vietnam's great culinary crossover, born when French colonial baguettes met Vietnamese herbs, pickles and fish-sauce marinades. The thin, crackly Saigon-style loaf shatters rather than squashes, which is exactly why this sandwich survives the journey to school better than any soft sliced-bread lunch.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 610 kcal
• Protein: 32g
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 66g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 16g
• Sodium: 1240mg