Banh Mi

This was the best use of our rib leftovers from last night.  I picked up a soft, light French baguette from the store this morning.  Pickled vegetables are the key ingredient, I think.  There was no daikon radish, so I got some regular little red radishes and sliced them thinly and julienned some carrots as well.  To pickle, mix 1 cup hot water with 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, 6 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp kosher salt.   Place the radishes and carrots in separate glass jars, pour the liquid over them and seal with the lids.  Ideally, they would be best left in the refrigerator for a few days before using, but  they were just fine after a half hour or so.  

For the spread, I mixed mayonnaise with a combination of sriracha hot sauce and my own version of saam sauce.  I warmed the pork up in a cast iron pan over medium heat.  To assemble, slice the baguette into portions and then slice open length wise without cutting all the way through.  Spread some of the mayo mixture on the top portion of the bread.  Lay several pieces of pork, then some pickled carrots and radish, a few thin slices of jalapeno if you like it spicy, and several sprigs of cilantro.  

I'm not a huge fan of sandwiches, but banh mi is a winner.  The pickled veggies are a must.  I think any left over bits of meat would work well.  Make sure you get a light and airy french bread.