Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi
User Reviews
5.0
78 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs
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Drying skin in fridge
1 d
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Servings
5 rolls
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Calories
1313 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Lunch
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Cuisine
Vietnamese
Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi
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Recipe video above. The crispy pork belly version of the famous Vietnamese sandwich, inspired by Ca Com in Melbourne, a famous banh mi shop. Hands down one of the best sandwiches I have ever made in my life, and my favourite type of banh mi (all my recipes here). Excellent food for sharing with friends and Sunday lunches.The Special Sauce is a copycat of the Ca Com sauce and it's an excellent match for crispy pork - thicker so it clings and doesn't soak and soften the skin or bread.PS The recipe for the crispy skin pork belly is based on the much-loved Crispy Pork Belly recipe. So you can have confidence that your pork WILL have perfect crispy crackling!
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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
- 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)
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Instructions
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).
- Preheat oven to 140°C/285°F (both fan and standard ovens).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Increase heat: Remove pork from oven, then increase heat to 240°C/465°F (all oven types).
- 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).
- 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.
- Rest 10 minutes: Remove pork from oven. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Making the banh mi
- Sauce - Mix the ingredients in a bowl then set aside. This will keep for 5 days in the fridge .
- 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.
- 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)
- 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).
- Serving - Eat immediately! Banh mi is definitely one of those foods best eaten freshly made!
Notes
- Pork Belly - Best to get one that has not been vacuum-packed (juices soak skin). If your belly is vac-packed, I really recommend doing the overnight drying uncovered in the fridge.
- Look for a piece with flat, even skin as wrinkly skin doesn't crackle as well (in the ridges, because heat can't get to it as well).
- Do NOT get one that is scored. It is a plain fact that you do NOT need to score for perfect crackling (read proof here!) All too often, butchers do poor scoring jobs and pierce through the fat into the flesh. Even the tiniest prick will cause meat juices to bubble up onto the skin and you'll end up with rubbery patches.
- Pate - or other pate of choice, but not orange or other flavoured
- Crispy fried shallots - Sold in packs and tubs at regular grocery stores in the Asian aisle. Ca Com finishes their pork belly banh mi with a shower of crispy fried shallots! It definitely adds an extra touch, with crunchy salty goodness. But it's optional because it is still excellent without.
- banh mi
- Pork belly storage and reheating - Pork belly keeps and reheats well, and the crackling stays crispy. If not using cooked pork immediately, loosely cover with foil (it's ok, the skin will stay crispy!) and it will be good for an hour to use for the banh mi. If intentionally making ahead, separate the crackling from the meat and reheat the cracking in the oven (crispy!) and meat in the microwave (retains moisture).
- banh mi
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
1313cal
(66%)
Carbohydrates
1g
(0%)
Protein
23g
(46%)
Fat
135g
(208%)
Saturated Fat
49g
(245%)
Cholesterol
180mg
(60%)
Sodium
661mg
(28%)
Potassium
464mg
(13%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Vitamin A
26IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
13mg
(1%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 5rolls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1313 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 1313cal | 66% |
| Carbohydrates | 1g | 0% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 135g | 208% |
| Saturated Fat | 49g | 245% |
| Cholesterol | 180mg | 60% |
| Sodium | 661mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 464mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 26IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 13mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
78 reviews
Excellent
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