Name: Pork Belly Bahn Mi
Prep time: 1800 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 1935 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds pork belly; oil (as needed); salt (to taste); 2 tablespoons white sugar; 1 cup rice wine vinegar; 2 cucumbers (thinly sliced); 2 tablespoons white sugar; 2 teaspoons salt flakes; 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar; 14 ounces shredded carrots; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce; 4 Vietnamese bread rolls; 4 tablespoons fire roasted tomato and smoky chipotle relish; 4 sprigs cilantro (leaves picked off)

Pork belly is slowly roasted on a barbecue and then topped with homemade pickled cucumbers and carrots to make the ultimate Pork Belly Bahn Mi sandwich. Crispy skin, juicy pork, and bright pickles, you don’t need anything more in a sandwich!

When ordering your pork belly from the butcher, tell them to leave the skin on. You can trim it at home, but will also want to keep some of it attached. The flavor created from the crispy pork skin is a big part of the flavor and texture.

The trick to creating the best crackling is drying the skin out and careful salting. The longer you have for this step the better. If you don’t have time, that is fine, it will still create tasty pork.

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A slab of golden roasted pork belly still on the barbecue.

When roasted, the pork belly will have soft flesh and crisp skin.

Thinly slicing the roasted pork belly on a wooden chopping board.

Slice the roasted pork belly thinly so it is easy to eat in the sandwich.

Small cubes of the pork belly on a chopping board.

Cutting the pork belly into small pieces makes it easier to eat the sandwich.

Raw pork belly having thin slices cut into it.

Cutting the thin lines into the pork before cooking makes it easier to slice after cooking.

Two pork belly bahn mi sandwiches sitting on a white serving plate.

These pork belly Bahn Mi rolls look and taste great. Fatty pork belly paired with tart quick pickled vegetables.

Pork Belly Bahn Mi Recipe

Dean Schumann

reviews

This recipe is provided by Dipper’s Backyard BBQ Wars.

Pork belly is slowly roasted in a barbecue then topped with homemade pickled cucumbers and carrots to make the ultimate Pork Belly Bahn Mi sandwich.

Print Review

Preparation 1 6

Cook 2 15

Ready in 1 8 15

Servings Servings

CourseLunch

InfluenceAsian

DifficultyExperienced

MethodSmoke

Similar RecipesSandwich

Print Review

Ingredients

Pork Belly

2 pounds pork belly
oil as needed
salt to taste

Pickled Cucumbers

2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup rice wine vinegar
2 cucumbers thinly sliced

Pickled Carrots

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons salt flakes
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
14 ounces shredded carrots

Sweet Chili Mayo

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

To Assemble

4 Vietnamese bread rolls
4 tablespoons fire roasted tomato and smoky chipotle relish
4 sprigs cilantro leaves picked off

Equipment

1 chunk apricot wood

Directions

Pork Belly

Pat the pork belly skin dry then score the skin in even runs the width apart you would like to serve it, this will make it easier to cut once the cracking has formed. Lightly oil and heavily salt the skin. Chill overnight with the skin exposed to air if time allows.
Preheat a BBQ for roasting at high indirect heat, about 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a chuck of peach wood on the grill grates to slowly smolder.
Remove the pork from the refrigerator and lightly oil and salt the skin again.
Cook for about 60 minutes on the preheated barbecue, then reduce the temperature to 250 degrees F (110 degrees C) and check every 20 to 30 minutes aiming for an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). Let rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing.

Pickled Cucumbers

Place the sugar in a non-reactive bowl and add a splash of hot water to dissolve. Stir in the vinegar then add the cucumber slices. Mix thoroughly. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before using.

Pickled Carrots

Place the sugar in a non-reactive bowl and add a splash of hot water to dissolve. Stir in the salt and vinegar. Add the carrots and mix. Let sit at least 30 minutes before using.

Sweet Chili Mayo

Mix the mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce together in a small bowl.

To Assemble

Cut the Vietnamese roll then spread with the chipotle chutney. Drain and add some of the pickled cucumbers and carrots. Add the thinly sliced pork belly then drizzle with the sweet chili mayo. Finally, garnish with fresh cilantro leaves before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 1690kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 29gFat: 145gSaturated Fat: 47gPolyunsaturated Fat: 26gMonounsaturated Fat: 61gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 175mgSodium: 1877mgPotassium: 896mgFiber: 5gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 13982IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 13mg