Vietnam was everything that I imagined it would be once we left Da Nang, with paddy fields, people on bicycles wearing wide cone shaped hats, rural beauty and towns with wonderful markets and rickshaws. The people were smiling and seemed content with life.
I remember on one trip, we planned on visiting Marble Mountain, but it was raining so bad, by the time that we got there, the rain was like a river running down the path we were supposed to climb. We did have fun shopping for the marble artifacts on sale.
The food in Vietnam is delicious, and Banh Mi is of course famous worldwide as a must try when visiting Vietnam. Banh mi refers to the bread or baguette and was originally eaten by the wealthy and contained pate. When it became more widely available, it evolved and began to contain meat.
This Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich, has steak marinated with ginger and lemongrass, which is a wonderful Vietnamese flavor combination.
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WINE NOTE
Riesling is a delicious pairing with banh mi. Although it is combining white wine with steak, breaking the old rules, the flavors are amazing together with the off dry honey complimenting the flavors in the sandwich.
Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich
2 Rib-eye steaks
MARINADE
2 Garlic cloves chopped
Thumb size piece of Ginger chopped (don’t peel)
1 Lemongrass peeled and chopped
1tbsp Black peppercorns crushed
1tbsp Fish sauce
1tsp Dark soy sauce
PICKLED VEGETABLES
1 Carrot scrubbed and julienned
1 Chili green or red sliced
2tbsp Rice vinegar
2tbsp White regular sugar
1 Clove garlic chopped
Pinch of Salt
1/2 Cucumber sliced with a mandoline
1 Red bell pepper sliced
1 bunch Cilantro (fresh coriander)
4tbsp Mayo
2tbsp Sriracha
4 Ciabatta or sourdough rolls
Blend the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag or a glass dish. Place the steaks in the marinade and ensure that they are covered in the marinade. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Mix the pickled vegetable ingredients together and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Blend the mayo and sriracha.
Light the grill and cook the steak until it has reached the desired level of cooking (or cook on a grill pan). rest the steak for 10 minutes.
Slice the bread and layer the steak, sliced vegetables, pickled vegetables and the mayo. Serve right away.
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