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BANH MI XIU MAI {VIETNAMESE MEATBALL SANDWICH}

Every time I hit a Vietnamese sandwich shop, the banh mi xiu mai would have to be hands down my favorite. My second favorite is the dac biet, which is the one that has the cold cuts in it, and third favorite would have to be the thit nuong which is the grilled meat sandwich. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my version of the xiu mai banh mi!

Banh Mi Xiu Mai {Vietnamese Meatball Sandwich}

Source: Lo Huynh (2 servings)

Meatballs:
½ pound ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ each yellow onion, minced
½ tablespoon corn starch
½ tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
4 ounces canned tomato sauce
tt kosher salt
tt fresh ground black pepper

1 each French baguette loaf, toasted and cut into 2 10″ loafs, and then cut in half

Garnishes:
a couple each fresh cilantro sprigs
1 each jalepeno, thinly sliced and white pith removed
¼ cup pickled carrots and daikon
¼ each red onion, thinly sliced
1 each Persian cucumber, sliced into lengthwise pieces

Pickled Carrots and Daikon:
½ cup water
½ cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 each carrot, julienned
½ each daikon, julienned

Directions:
1. Mix the meatball ingredients together and shape into 8 balls.
2. Steam the meatballs over boiling water for about an hour, or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
3. Mix all your sauce ingredients together in a bowl except for the canola oil and garlic.
4. In a saucepan, add the canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute, or until fragrant.
5. Add in your sauce ingredients and cook until the sauce has thickened.
6. Add your fully cooked meatballs to the sauce and cook for another five minutes.
7. For the sandwich, lay the bottom piece of the baguette down first. Then place 4 meatballs on top of the bottom half of the bread. Top your meatballs with the red onions, cilantro, jalepenos, cucumbers, and pickled carrots and daikon. Place your top half of the baguette on top of your meatballs and enjoy!

Pickled Carrots and Daikon:
1. Mix carrots, daikon, water, sugar, vinegar, and salt together and let this sit for 2 days in the refrigerator before serving.