Vietnamese sandwich with minced meat and pickled vegetables

Ingredients:

Sandwiches

• 900 g of minced pork
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced into 0.5 cm (1/4 in) cubes (about 2 cups)
• 1 heaping tbsp peeled and finely grated ginger
• 8 crushed cloves of garlic
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 sub sandwich buns (20 cm long)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped salted, roasted peanuts

Pickled vegetables

• 2 tbsp. table vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 2 cups daikon, thinly sliced ​​(cut into strips or use a vegetable peeler)
• 1 cup thinly sliced ​​carrots
• 1/2 English cucumber, partially peeled and cut into strips (some skin should remain) and halved into rounds

Spicy mayonnaise

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 - 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seed oil

Preparation:

1. For pickled vegetables: In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the daikon, carrots, and cucumbers. Let marinate for at least an hour.
2. For spicy mayonnaise: Mix mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, and sesame oil. Adjust the spiciness by adding more Sriracha sauce or mayonnaise.
   
   For pork: Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly softened, 4-6 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of the marinade from the pickled vegetables and reduce by half, 1-2 minutes.
   
   Add the chicken broth, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and black pepper and stir. Reduce slightly over low heat until thickened, 10-15 minutes. Add the ground pork, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, and simmer until the meat is cooked through, 6-8 minutes.
3. To assemble the sandwich: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake the buns for 5 minutes until the crust is crisp and the crumb is soft. Cut the buns in half lengthwise, leaving one side uncut.
   
   Spread spicy mayonnaise on the bottom of the bun, top with the pork, then some pickled vegetables, fresh jalapeño peppers, cilantro leaves, and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts. Hold the sandwich with both hands, open your mouth completely, and close your eyes. Enjoy this first-class ticket to Saigon.