Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich Adventure

March was already awful, and that was before this week in Boulder. Earlier this month I experienced what felt like the worst pandemic burnout yet. To try and find a bit of joy, my mind turned to banh mi sandwiches.

They reminded me of summer, recalling food trucks, fresh air, sunshine, grilling, sharing meals with friends. I’d been wistful about these special Vietnamese sandwiches while weathering spring snowstorms and continued isolation, repeating to myself, “We have to hang on just a bit longer.”

In February Guillaume and I split a “spicy beef” banh mi from a local eatery that was actually quite mild but still tasty. The pork and tofu sandwiches we picked up curbside from a different place in town were good, too. A magazine that arrived (eventually) in the mail featured a vegetarian version with eggplant.

One of the best banh mi sandwiches I’ve ever eaten was, unexpectedly, at home. This was in the Before Times, when we had a dinner party with our friends Cheryl and Bob. Guillaume and I picked up fresh-baked bread, pickled daikon and carrot, and assorted toppings at a specialty Asian grocery store. I mixed sriracha in mayo. Bob glanced at a recipe I found online, and then did his magic with smoked pork.

We each assembled our own unique sandwiches in the kitchen and sat down around the dining room table to eat them. With each amazing bite, it was clear that they were next-level. So much incredible flavor. I miss everything about that: our friends, who moved to another time zone not long afterward, being able to eat inside safely with others, leisurely grocery shopping trips, Bob’s prowess with meat and seafood.

In homage to that brighter time, I decided to try making tofu banh mi. Why tofu? The grill was buried under snow, we’re trying to be mindful about meat, and none of the veggie versions we’ve had yet were particularly remarkable. However, with key ingredients still difficult to procure and our specialty grocery shopping options limited, this whole thing promised to be a challenge.

First, a little background on bánh mì thịt nướng, which Google Translate tells me is Vietnamese for “toasted bread.” The sandwiches have French and Vietnamese elements and often feature savory meat and pickled vegetables on a baguette. Like many special dishes that I love, banh mi has regional variations and can be completely customizable.

My starting point for the tofu was the marinade in this recipe from the Ravenous Couple. Hong and Kim prepare Vietnamese dishes that make my mouth water. Now, I’d never made anything with fresh lemongrass before and couldn’t find thick soy sauce. For the sauce, one site suggested simmering soy sauce with brown sugar and oh my god the result was delicious. But it’s quite sweet, as expected.

The only fresh lemongrass available was a couple chunks in a little packet. More internet advice: smash the reedy pieces first to tenderize them before mincing them. The oil has a strong scent so I didn’t want to risk the rolling pin, but a meat tenderizing hammer did the trick. My gut said to remove the toughest outer parts prior to mincing it with a sharp knife. Mmm. Smells good. Lemongrass turned out to be a key ingredient for the tofu marinade. Once, when I forgot to buy some, the resulting tofu didn’t taste as balanced. Surprisingly, warm tofu from the pan didn’t work as well as having it cold from the fridge.

Other elements required extra effort, too. I got daikon radish and fresh carrots to pickle for my own do chua (recipe below). “There’s no way this is going to fit into that jar,” I thought, looking at the pile of veggies. But it did. And the potent smell following an overnight soak convinced me that this was right.

Bread was no afterthought, either. Ideally the bread rolls are soft French-style. You don’t want a super-crunchy exterior or the fillings spill out. Too soft and the inside can get gummy. One brand of cheap “French rolls” that shall not be named was just like those tasteless cafeteria rolls that came with hot lunches in elementary school. We found freshly baked hoagie rolls that got good reviews online and revived them in the oven at 200°F for around 10 minutes.

Finally, after several weeks of experimentation, when we were almost out of homemade pickled daikon and carrots, the whole thing came together: the marinade, the tofu, the bread, the toppings. When I asked Guillaume what he thought of this particular banh mi, he smiled and said, “Yum.” In that brief moment, it felt like standing in the warm sun after a long winter.

Tofu Banh Mi

Makes 4 sandwiches

1 package extra firm tofu, around 14–16 oz.
Vegetable oil for frying
1.5-inch piece fresh lemongrass
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
¼ C. low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. rice vinegar
Ground black pepper
1 clove of garlic OR 1 tsp. garlic purée
1 tsp. ginger purée
1 small shallot
1 tsp. sesame oil
Salt

Assembly
4 fresh soft baguettes
1 English cucumber
Several fresh sprigs of cilantro
1-2 fresh jalapeños
Sriracha
Mayonnaise
1 fresh lime
Pickled carrots and daikon (see recipe below)

Wrap the tofu in paper towels and press for at least 30 minutes.

Make the thick soy sauce: Combine ¼ C. soy sauce with 6 Tbsp. brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low until the sugar dissolves and it thickens to a maple syrup consistency, being careful not to over-boil. Remove from heat and let cool.

Smash the fresh lemongrass piece with a meat tenderizer and then mince it with a sharp knife. You want around 1 tablespoon total. Peel and mince the shallot. To a glass mixing bowl, add the cooled thick soy sauce, minced lemongrass, minced shallots, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and some grounds of black pepper. Stir with a fork to combine.

Cut tofu into 8 thin rectangular slabs. Add 1 tsp. vegetable oil to a nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and fry that side until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Flip tofu to brown the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove fried tofu to a plate.

Off-heat, add the sauce to the pan. Return to the burner at medium-low heat to cook the garlic and shallot. Stir while the sauce bubbles for several minutes. Put tofu back in the pan, turning to coat with the sauce. Let the tofu cool in the pan. Place tofu and sauce in a shallow lidded container and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to let flavors meld.

To serve: Remove tofu from the fridge. Rinse the cucumber and slice some thin rounds. Do the same with the jalapeños, using protective gloves. Rinse and dry cilantro sprigs. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha to taste. Cut lime into wedges.

Warm whole baguettes in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove them and slice each one lengthwise most of the way through, leaving an edge linked to prevent fillings from spilling out. Optional: Use a fork to dig out some soft interior bread to create more room for the fillings.

Assemble the sandwich according to your taste: spicy mayo, tofu, jalapeño slices, cucumber slices, pickled daikon and carrot, fresh cilantro sprigs, squeeze of lime.

Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot (Do Chua)
Adapted from the Ravenous Couple and Serious Eats

1 large or 2 medium carrots
1 medium daikon radish
½ C. rice wine vinegar
1 C. water
1 Tbsp. salt
¼ C. sugar

Peel and trim the carrot or carrots. Do the same for the radish. Combined, the daikon and carrot(s) should weigh around 550g. Carefully slice the vegetables on a mandoline lengthwise first and then use a knife to julienne them.

Combine carrots, radish, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Briefly work the salt and sugar into the vegetables with your hands until the seasonings are dissolved.

Pack the prepared vegetables into a quart-sized Mason jar.

Combine rice wine vinegar and water in a glass measuring cup and pour it into the jar.

For best results, seal the jar and refrigerate at least overnight. They stay good refrigerated for several months.