Banh Mi

Peel the carrot and daikon (white radish) for the pickled vegetables (đồ chua) and cut into thin julienne strips 5-6 cm long (150 g carrot, 150 g daikon). Sprinkle the vegetables with a pinch of salt, gently massage with your hands for 1-2 minutes and let sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess liquid. In a separate bowl, dissolve 100 ml rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar and another pinch of salt, pour the marinade over the vegetables and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

While the vegetables are pickling, prepare the marinade for the pork: mix 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped lemongrass stalks (white lower part only), 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Cut the pork neck or tenderloin (500 g) across the grain into 1.5 cm thick medallions, coat in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

Heat a grill pan or a regular heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat without oil. Add the pork medallions and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden-brown and cooked through. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and let the meat rest for 5 minutes.

Cut the cucumber into thin lengthwise slices, slice the chili pepper into thin rings (remove the seeds if you prefer less heat), and pluck the cilantro leaves along with their thin stems.

Slice the baguettes (Vietnamese mini baguettes or a regular French baguette) lengthwise almost all the way through without separating the halves completely, and warm in an oven preheated to 180°C for 3-4 minutes until lightly crisp.

Spread one cut side of each baguette evenly with pork liver pâté (100 g total for all portions), and the other cut side with mayonnaise (80 g total for all portions).

Layer into the baguette: the pork, the squeezed pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber slices, chili rings and cilantro leaves. Press the sandwich together and serve immediately, while the baguette is still warm and crisp.