Banh Mi Tacos Recipes

CHICKEN BANH MI TACOS

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken: Combine the lemongrass, soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, lime juice and ½ teaspoon pepper in a food processor and puree to make a coarse paste. Transfer the paste to a large resealable plastic bag, add the chicken, squeeze out the air and seal. Gently move the chicken around inside the bag to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• Marinate the vegetables: Whisk the vinegar, sesame oil, honey and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the carrots, radishes and jalapenos and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Make the tacos: Brush a large grill pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill until just cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board; slice the chicken against the grain and brush with the hoisin sauce.
• Combine the sour cream, lime juice, Sriracha and scallions in a blender; blend until smooth. Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet or in the microwave. Divide the chicken among the tortillas. Drain the marinated vegetables and add to the tacos. Drizzle with the lime crema. Top with more scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges.

BANH MI TACOS WITH PULLED PORK

Steps:

• For the pickled carrot and red radish: Toss the sliced radishes and carrots with the salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Pour the rice vinegar over the mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours or up to one week.
• For the braised pulled pork: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Rub the pork with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or brazier pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Carefully place the pork into the hot pan, fat-side down. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Use tongs to carefully turn the pork, cooking on all sides until browned, 5 to 10 minutes more.
• Transfer the pork to a plate, leaving all its juices in the pan. Add the bacon, carrot, celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, allspice, chiles de arbol, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. Continue cooking over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the cider, and stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Place the pork in the pan, on top of the vegetables. Cover the pan, and place it in the oven. Cook until the pork is soft to the touch and shreds easily, 5 to 6 hours. Carefully remove the pork from the pan, and shred it with tongs in a large bowl or pot. Strain and discard the solids, saving the braising liquid. Pour the strained liquid over the shredded pork.
• For the umami sauce: Combine the vegetable broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds, peppercorns, garlic, green onions, bacon, cloves, carrot, cinnamon stick, ginger, jalapeno, yellow onion and star anise in a large pot. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 90 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Strain and discard the solids, saving the liquid. In a small bowl, stir together the cold water and cornstarch to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the hot liquid until it is thick. Set the sauce aside until the pork is ready.
• Pour the umami sauce over the pork and use tongs to toss. This can be done the day before serving¿¿just reheat the pork when you are ready to assemble the tacos.
• For the sriracha mayo: Stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl until combined.
• For the tacos: Preheat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat. For each taco, hold 2 corn tortillas together, dip them in a bowl of room-temperature water and count to three. Place the tortillas, still together, on the hot griddle, and cook until hot and beginning to blister on each side, about 45 seconds. Stack the hot tortillas on a plate.
• Sprinkle each set of tortillas with cilantro, sliced jalapenos and pickled carrot and red radish. Top with some umami pork, and drizzle with sriracha mayo.

STEAK BANH MI TACOS

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the fish sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar, garlic, shallot, 2 teaspoons salt, a few grinds of black pepper and 1/4 cup cold water. Blend until smooth. Place the steak in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade into the bag, seal, and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine the granulated sugar, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup cold water in a small saucepot. Bring to a boil and then pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots and jicama. Let sit until cooled to room temperature. Use at room temperature or refrigerate, covered, for later use.
• Prepare a grill for high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry. Grill the steak for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium. Remove from the grill, let rest for 5 minutes, and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Warm the tortillas in a dry saute pan or in a 350-degree oven, wrapped in a foil pouch, for 10 minutes (you can also heat them over a gas burner until charred in spots). Spread some of the mayonnaise on one side of each tortilla. Top with some steak, cucumbers, chiles and pickled carrots and jicama. Sprinkle with cilantro and cotija.

BANH MI TACOS

Steps:

• Special equipment: Chinese mandolin.
• For the rub:
• Mix together the five-spice powder and sugar in a small bowl, and then add salt and pepper to taste.
• For the pork belly:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Rub the dry rub over the whole piece of pork belly, making sure to push the rub into the meat. Once the pork belly is covered, sear it in the skillet until browned, 4 minutes per side, to ensure that you have sealed in the juices. Pull the pork belly out of the skillet and let it rest. Without emptying the meat's juices from the skillet, saute the garlic and onions over medium heat until browned, 2 minutes. Add the soy sauces, sugar, vinegar, star anise and 1/2 cup water, and then add the pork belly, making sure it is no more than halfway covered by the liquid. Place the skillet into the oven and let it braise until it is very moist and tender, and can be pulled apart with ease, about 3 hours 30 minutes. Let the pork belly rest, and then chop it into smaller pieces.
• For the salad:
• Meanwhile, shred the carrots and daikon into thin strips using a Chinese mandolin. Mix together the vegetables with the sugar, vinegar, chili garlic and fish sauce. Let the mixture sit and rest.
• For the mayonnaise:
• Whisk together the mayonnaise, Sriracha, lime juice and rice vinegar in a small bowl and pour into a small squeeze bottle or set aside.
• For assembly:
• Heat the tortillas on a griddle over high heat. Add a small serving of the pork belly to each one, and top with the daikon and carrot salad, Sriracha mayonnaise and chopped cilantro, and serve.