Crispy pork belly banh mi
Ingredients
Crispy pork belly for banh mi
- 1kg / 2 lb pork belly with skin on , NOT SCORED. Look for 3 – 3.5cm / 1.2 – 1.6" thick, even thickness with flat, unwrinkled skin, preferably not vac-packed (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tsp canola or vegetable oil , divided
- 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice , optional (you won't miss it)
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt , divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (or white pepper)
Special banh mi sauce (Ca Com copy!)
- 4 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp coconut milk , full fat
- 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce (mainly for colour, sub light or regular soy)
To make the banh mi (5 rolls)
- 5 crusty white rolls (lightly oven toast to crisp if crust is softened)
- 120g/ 4 oz chicken pate (Note 2)
- 6 tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise or Kewpie
- 1 batch [Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon](https://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-pickled-carrots-daikon/) [](https://www.recipetineats.com/apple-sauce)
- 3 green onion stems , cut to length of rolls (2 to 3 pieces per roll)
- 2 cucumbers , finely sliced using vegetable peeled or knife
- 2 cups coriander/cilantro leaves and small sprigs
- 3 Birds Eye or Thai chillis , finely sliced
- 8 tbsp crispy fried shallots , store bought (Note 3)
Instructions
- 1
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Dry skin overnight: Place pork belly on a plate. Pat skin dry with paper towels. Leave uncovered in fridge overnight to dry out the skin. (If you don't have time, pat the skin dry as best you can).
- 2
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Preheat oven to 140°C/285°F (both fan and standard ovens).
- 3
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Season flesh: Drizzle flesh side with 1 tsp oil. Sprinkle over 1/2 tsp salt, and all the pepper and Chinese five spice. Rub all over the flesh, including on the sides.
- 4
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Foil boat: Place 2 pieces of foil on a work surface. Put the belly in middle of foil, skin side up. Fold the sides in to enclose the belly, forming an open box, pinching corners to seal tightly and make it as snug as possible. Place meat on a tray.
- 5
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Season skin: Pat skin dry with paper towels. Rub with 1/2 tsp oil then sprinkle remaining 1/2 tsp salt evenly all over the skin surface, from edge to edge.
- 6
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Slow roast 2 hours: Place in the oven and roast for 2 hours, tightening the foil around the pork after 1 hour (the pork will shrink). This protects the flesh from drying out.
- 7
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Increase heat: Remove pork from oven, then increase heat to 240°C/465°F (all oven types).
- 8
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Level pork: Remove pork from foil, discard fat and foil. Place pork on a rack set over a tray. Use scrunched up balls of foil stuffed under pork to prop it up so the skin surface is as level and horizontal as possible (see photos in post).
- 9
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - 30 minutes blast! Place the pork back in the oven for 30 minutes, rotating after 15 minutes as needed, until the crackling is deep golden, puffy and crispy all over. If some patches are browning faster, protect with foil patches.
- 10
Crispy pork belly for banh mi - Rest 10 minutes: Remove pork from oven. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- 11
Making the banh mi - Sauce – Mix the ingredients in a bowl then set aside. This will keep for 5 days in the fridge.
- 12
Making the banh mi - Chop pork – Cut the pork into 1 1/2 cm / 0.6" thick slices, then each slide into 1 1/2 cm / 0.6" chunks.
- 13
Making the banh mi - Split & spread – Split the roll in half down the side, keeping the lid attached. Smear the base with 1 1/2 tbsp of pate, then 1 1/2 tbsp of mayonnaise (on top of the pate)
- 14
Making the banh mi - Stuff – Pile about 1/3 cup pickled vegetables on the mayonnaise. Lay 2 slices of cucumber and 2 green onions against the lid. Pile pork on top. Drizzle pork with 1 tbsp of sauce. Stuff coriander/cilantro down the side, sprinkle with chilli then2 tablespoons of crispy shallots as you want (if using).
- 15
Making the banh mi - Serving – Eat immediately! Banh mi is definitely one of those foods best eaten freshly made!
