How to Make Banh Mi Burgers
I can’t name a better combination for June and Dan than these Banh Mi Burgers. June and Dan are huge foodies, but rightfully so of course, they have their own individual preferences. June prefers Asian food, while Dan leans more towards American or Mexican food. This recipe is the perfect fusion of a classic hearty burger with a Vietnamese-inspired twist.
What is a banh mi?
Bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich, with French influences, created in the 50s as a result of the French colonization. History is everywhere. Especially in the food we eat, it is rich in culture. Often times, the story behind each dish has a tragic history attached to it. But along the way, beauty transpires. The bánh mì is a perfect example of this. It usually consists of a shorter, fatter, but light, crispy, and airy baguette bread stuffed with a variety of flavorful meat, pickled veggies, fresh herbs, good ol’ butter, mayo, and pâté. In Vietnam, it’s a very typical breakfast option, served out of a food cart on the streets, with cold cut meat, eggs, Maggi seasoned soy sauce, along with the pickled veggies and fresh herbs.
Here’s our take on the original recipe from The Modern Proper. We added lemongrass to the patty, a common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine. The patty is juicy, flavorful, and aromatic. We also included homemade pickled carrots, daikon, and cucumber. It’s quick and simple to whip up, using equal parts of white vinegar, water, and sugar. Oh, and grilled onion. I can’t imagine a burger without some grilled or caramelized onion. The balance of savory, acidity and freshness from the veggies and herbs, it’s just delicious. Without further ado….
What You’ll Need:
Lemongrass Pork Patty
2 lb ground pork
½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemongrass, finely chopped
6 green onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce, or soy sauce
2 tbsp sriracha
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
Vietnamese Pickled Veggies
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
cucumber, cut into match sticks
daikon (white radish), cut into match sticks
carrots, cut into match sticks
Sriracha Mayo
1 cup mayo
2 stalks green onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp sriracha
Fixings
8 buns
Cilantro
Grilled onion
Jalapeño, sliced
How to Cook It:
Let’s start off with the pickling process. Cut up your carrot, daikon radish, and cucumber into match sticks. In a small container, or mason jar, combine white vinegar, sugar, and water. Place the veggies in the pickling liquid. Set aside for at least an hour.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the pork patties until combined. Shape into 8 patties.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sriracha mayo.
Grill pork patties, about 5 min on each side.
June’s Tip: We grilled the buns with butter and the pork fat, which created a delicious crust on the bun. We also added grilled onions! June and Dan had a great idea of using the rendered pork fat from the pan. Throw in some onion and let it caramelize. Then, add some butter to the pan and let the bun soak it up as it toasts.
Assemble the burgers with all the banh mi fixings! Enjoy!
Written by Edlyn Wong
