Ingredients

Baguettes
Paté
Vietnamese grilled pork
Pickled jalapenos
Pickled cabbage

Directions

Slice the baguettes open along one side. Spread one half with paté. Add jalapenos, pork, and cabbage. Eat.

I followed this recipe. I used boneless country ribs (aka pork butt), sliced to about 1/4″. I also haven’t yet found a “meat cage” the right size (might have to make one), so just laid them on the grill. I also cannot for the life of me mince lemongrass properly; I’ll try it with lemongrass paste next time. It came out great, perfect for banh mi or just as finger food. It would also go perfectly in a vermicelli bowl.

Ingredients

2 lb boneless pork country ribs, sliced 1/4″ thick
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalked lemongrass, minced
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil

Directions

Mix together all the non-pork ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pork and mix thoroughly with hands, until the pork is completely coated. Cover and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Heat grill to medium-low. Lay pork on grill and cook with cover closed until they begin to char. Turn over and cook until done. Serve in banh mi, over vermicelli and salad, or just eat by hand with some nuoc cham for dipping.

Ingredients

Soup
1.5 quarts chicken stock (1 is probably enough for two servings; 1.5 was generous)
12 oz thick noodles, as fresh as possible (e.g. udon)
4-6 medium-sized crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1-2″ ginger, peeled, cut in matchsticks
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce

For serving
1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
lime wedges
fish sauce
chili sauce (sriracha or sambal olek)

Directions

Bring the stock to a boil then decrease to a simmer. Add the mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cook the noodles in the soup (e.g. fresh udon just needs to simmer for about 3 minutes), or prepare the noodles ahead of time and add to the soup for the last few minutes. Split between two bowls and add the white onions and scallions. Add lime, a dash of fish sauce, and chili sauce to taste.

Inspired by a bowl of “house special” soup at Green Leaf that included all kinds of stuff (in comparison to my usual favorite, the elegantly simple pho), we decided to make our own house special soup with whatever was on hand. This one came out pretty good, though if the base broth (a failed pho attempt) had been better, the soup would have been as well.

Ingredients

1 quart broth (pho broth, chicken stock, etc)
6 oz noodles (hand-shaved noodles, udon, etc)
6 Vietnamese meatballs
6 frozen dumplings, shumai, etc
4-6 medium crimini mushrooms, halved and sliced
2-3 bunches baby bok choy
green onions, thai basil, or chives, chopped
hoisin sauce, chili sauce
limes
sesame oil

Directions

Prepare the noodles as directed. Meanwhile, add the dumplings and meatballs to the stock and heat it over medium heat. Saute the bok choy in the sesame oil for a few minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms for a minute or two.

Serve by placing a serving of noodles in each bowl, topped by some of the greens. Add dumplings and meatballs, then cover with broth. Add a squeeze of lime, hoisin, and chili sauce to taste.

This chicken was inspired by a good Vietnamese vermicelli bowl and is meant to be good served that way or over rice. Would work well with nuoc cham or barbecue sauce (or this one) for dipping. I tried to cut the chicken in chunks and thread them on metal skewers, but they worked slightly better on bamboo (less slipping), and threading them in strips like satay might have been better overall. I chose chicken thighs for flavor and juiciness but this could be done with breast pieces as well, probably brined to stay moist.

Ingredients

1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into skewer-sized chunks
2 stalks lemongrass
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1/4 c fish sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp brown sugar
sriracha or other chili sauce/paste to taste
vegetable oil
chopped scallions
sesame seeds

Directions

Remove the extra-fibrous outer layers from the lemongrass and mince in a food processor. Add and mince the cloves of garlic and shallot. Add fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and chili sauce to make a thinnish paste (adjust the fish sauce to taste and consistency) and mix well. Pour into a sealable container and toss thoroughly with chicken. Marinate overnight, mixing occasionally.

Heat grill to as hot as possible. Remove chicken pieces from marinade and thread on skewers, leaving a little space between pieces. Oil grill grate and grill uncovered until nicely charred, turning every 1-2 minutes to keep from sticking. If necessary, finish with grill closed. Total cooking time should be 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of pieces.

Serve with scallions and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

3 lb tri-tip roast, cut into 2″ chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
2″ large ginger root, peeled and minced
1 large shallot, peeled, ends removed, and minced
1/8 c soy sauce
1/4 c fish sauce
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/4 c water
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
4 stars anise
6 dried red peppers
canola oil

Directions

Combine the soy, fish sauce, hoisin, and rice vinegar. Heat the pressure cooker on high. When hot, add a little of the oil. Sear the pieces of beef on all sides, 3-4 minutes, in multiple batches. Remove and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add enough oil to saute the garlic, ginger, and shallot in. Saute until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to get off the burned bits from the beef. Add about 1/4 of the soy mixture and continue scraping until the bottom of the pot is smooth. Add the rest of the mixture and cook stirring for about 1 minute. Add the meat and the dry spices. Turn heat to high, cover and seal, and bring up to 15lb pressure. Cook for an hour, turn off the heat, and let the pressure dissipate.

Remove the chunks of beef with tongs. Strain what’s left to produce a smooth gravy. Salvage the softened black peppercorns from the remaining sludge — they’re delicious — but be sure to discard all pieces of the cinnamon stick and star anise, since they’re hard to chew. Shred the meat for sandwiches, serve over rice, etc.

Ingredients

2 lb tri-tip roast, cut into 2″ chunks
1 tbsp beef fat, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2″ large ginger root, peeled and minced
1 large shallot, peeled, ends removed, and minced
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c fish sauce
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/4 c water
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
3 stars anise
3 dried red peppers
canola oil

Directions

Combine the soy, fish sauce, hoisin, and rice vinegar. Heat the pressure cooker on high. Add a little of the oil and the beef fat. Let heat for 30-60 seconds. Add half the beef and sear on all sides, 1-2 minutes, remove, and repeat with the other half. Reduce heat to medium and add enough oil to saute the garlic, ginger, and shallot in. Saute until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to get off the burned bits. Add about 1/4 of the soy mixture and continue scraping until the bottom of the pot is smooth. Add the rest of the mixture and cook stirring for about 1 minute. Add the meat and the dry spices. Turn heat to high, cover and seal, and bring up to 15lb pressure. Cook for an hour, turn off the heat, and let the pressure dissipate.

After this, put the meat in the oven and burn the bejesus out of it. Throw it out and eat peanut butter for dinner. See the carnitas recipe for actual details.

Ingredients

Asian beef broth
1 1/2 c brown rice, prepared
1 1/2 lb kalbi, with bottom round beef substituted for the country ribs
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 scallions, sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced thin
4-5 large crimini mushrooms, stemmed, halved, and sliced thin
Thai basil leaves
Hoisin, sriracha, and fish sauce to taste

Directions

The night before (or even more in advance), make the broth, marinate the beef, and prepare the rice. To serve the soup, pour the broth into a saucepan and add the mushrooms. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, remove the beef from the marinade and place on a hot grill. Grill covered until medium rare or medium, turning once or twice. Remove from grill, let rest for 10 minutes, then cut in thin chunks or slices. Place some of the rice in each bowl and pour the broth over it. Serve with all the other ingredients and add to taste. Juice from the beef may also be added for more kalbi flavor. Makes 4-5 servings.

Ingredients

3.5 lb beef bones
2″ ginger, sliced
1 white onion, quartered
1/2 lb small crimini mushrooms, halved
10 c water
3/8 c soy sauce
1 star anise star
8-10 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/4 c fish sauce

Directions

In a large skillet, toast the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns on high for a few minutes. Remove and toast the onion, ginger, and mushrooms. Put all the ingredients except the fish sauce in the pressure cooker and bring to a boil on high. Seal the pressure cooker, lower the heat, and bring to 8 lb pressure (first red ring on Kuhn Rikon cookers). Cook for 1 hour, remove from heat, and let cool until pressure returns to normal. Open top and skim off fat (or refrigerate overnight and skim solid fat off the next day). Add fish sauce.

Use for pho, rice and pork soup, or other recipes calling for Vietnamese or Asian beef broth.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey
1/4 c finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions

Combine all ingredients except sesame oil in a bowl. Form into 1-inch meatballs and place on a lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add half the meatballs and saute until cooked through, turning frequently, about 15 minutes. Repeat with rest of meatballs.