Say what you want about the legacies of colonialism, but it would be hard to find a negative in the baking tradition that the French installed in Vietnam. The banh mi, or Vietnamese sandwich, is a god damn culinary treasure. Sweet, spicy Asian flavours encapsulated in the best baguette you'll find this side of Paris. Was I excited about this one? Just a little.
Simple, fresh ingredients, don't try too hard. Got it. Make a marinade with the honey and soy sauce; chop up the steaks and throw them in. Can do.
Make a dressing with the chili, (veggie) fish sauce, lime juice and sugar; julienne the vegetables and give the carrots a bit of a pickle in the vinegar. This is easy stuff!
Now, cook the meat. Ah. Right. It's never easy, is it? For whatever reason, we've been on a terrible streak lately when it comes to cooking meat. I'm going to blame the stove: easiest on my ego and hardest to disprove.
Putting meat on sticks, that part's no problem.
Cooking said meat to a point inbetween raw and leather, well, we're still working on that. Looks pretty, though!
Eventually we had something edible, and proceeded to assemble what might be our best presentation yet. (Ably assisted by a pint, which, while not technically part of the recipe, was certainly very welcome after slaving over a hot grill pan.)
Ultimately, though, it was a bit of a disappointment. The meat, obviously, had been massacred at my unskilled hands; the bread was not the finest - but really, the problem was the flavours. There just wasn't anything bold here. A banh mi should be spicy and delicious, and make you take notice. This was unassuming and polite, a very English version of an Asian masterpiece. Whatever our failings in execution, I really think the problem here was the recipe. Definitely a missed opportunity.
Simple, fresh ingredients, don't try too hard. Got it. Make a marinade with the honey and soy sauce; chop up the steaks and throw them in. Can do.
Make a dressing with the chili, (veggie) fish sauce, lime juice and sugar; julienne the vegetables and give the carrots a bit of a pickle in the vinegar. This is easy stuff!
Now, cook the meat. Ah. Right. It's never easy, is it? For whatever reason, we've been on a terrible streak lately when it comes to cooking meat. I'm going to blame the stove: easiest on my ego and hardest to disprove.
Putting meat on sticks, that part's no problem.
Cooking said meat to a point inbetween raw and leather, well, we're still working on that. Looks pretty, though!
Eventually we had something edible, and proceeded to assemble what might be our best presentation yet. (Ably assisted by a pint, which, while not technically part of the recipe, was certainly very welcome after slaving over a hot grill pan.)
Ultimately, though, it was a bit of a disappointment. The meat, obviously, had been massacred at my unskilled hands; the bread was not the finest - but really, the problem was the flavours. There just wasn't anything bold here. A banh mi should be spicy and delicious, and make you take notice. This was unassuming and polite, a very English version of an Asian masterpiece. Whatever our failings in execution, I really think the problem here was the recipe. Definitely a missed opportunity.
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