The Pork Pilgrimage Continues with a Grilled Pork Belly Banh Mi

 

After the successful Porchetta Challenge last weekend, I decided to continue my pork pilgrimage by recreating a sandwich I ate the day of my wedding.  Scott and I got married in the Central Coast of California this summer.  After a lengthy Catholic mass, we returned to our hotel room before the reception.  My sister Ana, brilliantly had a pork belly banh mi from Thomas Hill Organics (Paso Robles, CA) waiting in the room for us.  Unbeknownst to Scott and while still wearing my wedding dress, I inhaled the sandwich not leaving my new husband even one bite.  To this day I still salivate every time I think of that sandwich. With left over pork belly from Larder and Butcher in the fridge, I would salivate no more.  

 

Grilled Pork Belly Banh Mi

2lbs pork belly skin removed

Several sprigs of cilantro

Several sprigs of mint

Shredded carrots

Julienned cucumbers

Julienned red onion

Sliced avocado

2 Limes

1 red jalapeño or red Thai chilies

French baguette

Sriracha Aioli

1 tablespoon of cilantro

1 tablespoon of sriracha

1 tablespoon of Japanese mayo or regular mayo

¼ cup olive oil

1 grated garlic clove

Marinade for the belly

1 knob of grated ginger

2 cloves of grated garlic

1 stick of chopped lemon grass (bang it with the back of your knife first then chop it)

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons of chopped mint

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

2 tablespoons of light soy sauce

2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons of pomegranate syrup (sub agave syrup)

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

½ cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup of olive oil

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour into a plastic Ziploc bag.  Cut the pork belly in half and place into the Ziploc bag.  Allow pork belly to marinate over night turning it frequently.

  

Heat up your grill to 500 degrees.  While you wait for the grill to preheat, prepare the Sriracha aioli.  Using a whisk, combine one tablespoon of chopped cilantro, one grated garlic clove, the juice of one lime, one tablespoon of Japanese mayo and 1 tablespoon Sriracha.  Slowly begin to add a quarter cup of olive oil, whisking while you add it. 

Place your marinated pork belly on the hot grill.  Grill five minutes on each side; be mindful of the flare-ups that can occur with the high amounts of fat.  Allow the pork belly to sit for ten minutes before slicing.  

To begin the banh mi construction, butterfly the French baguette in half being careful not to slice it into two.  Smother both sides of the baguette with the Sriracha aioli, place the hot sliced pieces of pork belly into the baguette and begin layering your veggies.  I like to put carrots on first, then the cucumber, cilantro, mint, onions, chilies and avocado.  Top the sandwich with a squeeze of lime.