Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi
User Reviews
5
52 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
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
Report
This Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi features slow-roasted pork belly with crackling skin seasoned with salt, pepper, and Chinese five spice, combined with a special hoisin-coconut milk sauce. The sandwich includes toasted white rolls, chicken pate, pickled daikon and carrot, sliced cucumbers, chilies, coriander leaves, and crispy fried shallots for texture and freshness.
Description
The pork belly is carefully dried overnight uncovered to ensure the skin crisps well. Seasoned on the flesh side and wrapped in foil, it is slow roasted at low temperature for two hours, then finished under a broiler or high heat to blister and crackle the skin. This method produces tender meat with a crisp, crackling crust without scoring the skin.
The banh mi sandwich is assembled with lightly toasted white rolls spread with chicken pate and mayonnaise, layered with the pork belly slices, pickled vegetables, cucumber, fresh coriander, sliced chilies, and fried shallots. The special sauce, a mixture of hoisin, coconut milk, and soy sauce, adds sweetness and creaminess that complements the savory meat and crisp vegetables.
Best served fresh, the sandwich combines crispy, tender pork belly with tangy pickles and fresh herbs for balanced textures and flavors. The crispy fried shallots add a savory crunch to finish the sandwich. The pork belly and its crackling keep well and can be reheated for future sandwiches.
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Ingredients
Crispy pork belly for banh mi
- 1kg / 2 lb pork belly NOT SCORED. Look for 3 - 3.5cm / 1.2 - 1.6" thick, even thickness with flat, unwrinkled skin, preferably not vac-packed (Note 1, with skin on
- 1 1/2 tsp canola oil divided, or vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice , optional (you won't miss it)
- 1 tsp kosher salt divided, cooking salt
- 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 white rolls lightly oven toast to crisp if crust is softened, crusty
- 120g/ 4 oz chicken pate (Note 2)
- 6 tbsp mayonnaise or Kewpie, whole-egg
- 1 batch carrot Vietnamese pickled
- 1 batch daikon radish Vietnamese pickled
- 3 green onion cut to length of rolls (2 to 3 pieces per roll, stems
- 2 cucumber finely sliced using vegetable peeled or knife
- 2 cups Coriander leaves and small sprigs, aka cilantro leaves
- 3 Birds Eye chilli finely sliced, or Thai chilli
- 8 tbsp shallots store bought (Note 3, crispy fried
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
- Choose pork belly with flat, unwrinkled skin and avoid vacuum-packed to preserve crispness when roasting.
- Drying the skin uncovered in the fridge overnight aids crackling development; if short on time, dry as thoroughly as possible before roasting.
- Do not score the skin; avoiding cuts prevents rubbery patches and keeps juices intact.
- Crispy fried shallots add crunch and flavor but are optional.
- For make-ahead, separately reheat pork belly meat and crackling to preserve texture before assembling sandwiches.
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
(10%)
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
52 reviews
Excellent
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