Pork Banh Mi Burgers with Vietnamese Slaw

Banh Mi Sandwiches are a Vietnamese sandwich usually consisting of fragrant cilantro, spicy mayo, fresh jalapenos, pickled vegetables, and chargrilled meat.  The flavor combination is incredible and very memorable.  I have banh mi cravings often but rarely get to fulfill them.  A banh mi burger seemed like the perfect way to get my fix at home.  Chargrilled pork burgers topped with this flavorful banh mi slaw and sandwiched inside crusty ciabatta rolls are a perfect summer meal.  The slaw as written is pretty spicy but it’s a good kind of heat, tempered by the creamy mayo and chewy bread.  Serve with plenty of fries for sopping up the extra sauce.

Vietnamese Banh Mi Slaw

• 2 cups carrots, julienned or coarsely grated
• 2 cups daikon, julienned or coarsely grated
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek or sriracha
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

1. Combine carrots, daikon, jalapeno, vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl.  Set aside for about 1 hour.
2. Drain most of the liquid from carrot mixture.
3. Stir in mayo, green onions, hot sauce, and cilantro.
4. Taste and re-season if desired.  Chill until ready to serve.

Set the carrots and daikon aside to pickle while you start making the burgers.  Then finish the slaw while the burgers are cooking or make the slaw up to a couple days in advance.  It also makes a great side dish alongside any Asian inspired meal you might this summer.  Julienning vegetables is one of my favorite cooking prep techniques, thanks to this julienne peeler.  It makes very quick work of it and I highly recommend getting one if you make dishes like this often.  Also the Nutrition Facts for the slaw are not entirely accurate since you will drain off the pickling juice.

Banh Mi Burgers

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek or sriracha
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 ciabatta buns or other crusty rolls, sliced in half

1. Combine pork, basil, garlic, onion, fish sauce, hot sauce, sugar, cornstarch, salt and pepper until uniform.
2. Pat mixture into four patties.
3. Brush a grill pan or heavy skillet (or grill) with sesame oil.
4. Cook burgers about 15 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Once burgers are fully cooked, remove them to a plate to rest.  Place rolls, cut side down over the heat until toasted.
6. Serve burgers on rolls topped generously with slaw.  Top with additional fresh cilantro sprigs and sliced fresh jalapenos if desired.