Banh Mi
Choy House’s Felipe Chinen shows us how to make the cafe’s signature Vietnamese sandwich-roll – and give it a Chinese twist.
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 5 people
- 500g pork shoulder
- or butt
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or strong sherry
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- Vietnamese or soft French baguette
- Mayonnaise
- Smooth pork pâté or Brussels pâté
- 2-3 carrots
- Bunch of coriander
- 2-3 spring onions
- Bunch of mint
- Crispy onions
- Maggi sauce
- Sriracha sauce
Hands up who agrees that the very worst – not to mention boring – part of working from home is having to think about what to make for lunch every day. Another cheese toastie or low-key bowl of pasta, anyone? But it doesn’t have to be that way. Choy House, the Asian-inspired cafe that’s fast become a Peninsula favourite, has elevated the art of sandwich making by riffing on the traditional Vietnamese staple, banh mi – for the uninitiated, that’s a baguette decadently laden with slow-cooked meat, pickled vegetables, spices and seasoning. We asked manager Felipe Chinen for his expert guide on getting the assembly just right – and how to give it a Chinese twist with the addition of char siu pork. Enjoy.
For the char siu pork
Pre-heat your oven to 190˚C. While it warms, mix the hoisin, sugar, soy, wine, honey and five spice together in a bowl to make your marinade. Set aside a third of the marinade and use the remainder to rub the pork all over until it’s fully coated.
Cover a baking tray with foil and place a roasting rack inside. Lay the marinated pork on top of the rack and put it into the pre-heated oven. (You can cook the pork directly on top of the foil if you don’t have a rack but be aware that small pieces of foil might get stuck to the pork and need removing before consuming.) Roast the meat for 30 to 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 62˚C. It should look quite dark in colour and have charred bits all around – don’t worry, it’s not burnt! That’s just the sugar from the marinade that has caramelized.
Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest on the rack for a minimum of 10 minutes before slicing.
For the sauce
While the pork is resting, make your sauce by placing the reserved marinade and the juices from the cooked pork in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil, lower the temperature to a medium heat and let it reduce by half. You’ll know your sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon without being too runny.
Slice the cooked pork and place it into a bowl, cover with the sauce and give it a good mix.
For the pickled carrots
Slice the carrots length-ways and then into thin Julienne strips and cover them in distilled vinegar. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. They should still hold their shape and crunchiness.
Assembling your banh mi
Place your baguette in the still-hot oven for five minutes. Once it’s warmed up, slice it in half without going all the way through one side. Open it up and remove some of the bread from the inside to make space for the fillings. Spread a healthy spoonful of mayo on one side and one of your chosen pâtés on the other side.
Now, we’ll work on layers: make the first layer out of coriander, with or without the stalks depending on your preference. Then add your pickled carrots, the char siu pork and drizzle a bit of Maggi and sriracha sauce on top. Finally, add some mint leaves, the chopped spring onions and crispy onions. Close the roll and enjoy your sandwich!
