BÁNH MÌ TACOS
There’s a great burger place in Roanoke, Virginia, called Beamer’s 25 (named after Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer), and I almost always order their Bánh Mì burger, a pork burger topped with pickled veggies and served with a side of ginger. I thought about that burger when I came up with this recipe for Bánh Mì Tacos, which are just a lightened-up version—stir-fried pork bites are seasoned with sesame oil, honey, and red pepper flakes for that delightful spicy-sweet combination, and then we serve them on lettuce leaves topped with quick-pickled veggies. It’s a perfect appetizer or light dinner. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour and 10 minutes to marinate
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
FOR THE QUICK-PICKLED VEGETABLES
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
½ cup carrots, julienned
½ cup cucumber, julienned
3 or 4 radishes, thinly sliced
FOR THE TACOS
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound pork cutlets, cut thinly into bite-size pieces
4 to 6 lettuce leaves, either romaine or butter lettuce
2 or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
TO MAKE THE QUICK-PICKLED VEGETABLES
In a small bowl, stir to combine the vinegar with the coconut aminos. Add the carrots, cucumber, and radishes. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
TO MAKE THE TACOS
- In a medium bowl, stir to combine the honey, sesame oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Add the pork, and stir. Marinate for 10 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the pork in the marinade for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the pork strips are cooked through.
- Set up your tacos by laying out the lettuce boats and filling them with cooked pork. Top with a generous serving of the quick-pickled vegetables, and garnish with the cilantro.
VARIATION 1 BÁNH MÌ TACOS WITH SHRIMP: For a meatless variation, marinate 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails removed instead of the pork strips. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until pink. Prepare the tacos as written in step 3.
VARIATION 2 ASIAN PORK BELLY TACOS: Swap out pork cutlets for pork belly, which has a deliciously rich, fatty taste. Sauté as written in the recipe, and then pour the marinade over it. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, and assemble the tacos as written in step 3.
PREP TIP: Make the pickled vegetables ahead of time so you don’t end up waiting an hour for them.
