I love sandwiches. I love taking whatever ingredients I’m currently craving and stuffing them in between crunchy, yet soft, fresh bread. There are so many combinations and possibilities. One of my favorite ways to build a sandwich is to take really rich and hearty meat and top it with some sweet-acidic slaw. The acid in the slaw helps balance the richness of the meat and the combination is oh-so-good. That’s where the inspiration for this sandwich came from. I take every day pork, make it sweet, spicy and caramelized and stuff it all into fresh bread and top it with some cabbage slaw. Jared has nothing on this sub.
It all starts with a good marinade for this sweet and spicy sandwich.
Cool, creamy and crunchy slaw. Don’t dress your slaw too far in advance. 60 – 90 minutes is all this slaw needs. Any longer and everything gets wilty.
Thinly slice against the grain…
Tuck into some fresh French bread rolls…
Asian Style Pork Sandwiches with Crunchy Slaw
Asian Style Pork Sandwiches with Crunchy Slaw
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp. vegetable oil, separated into 2, 2 tbsp. servings
- 1 tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. hot chili paste (I used Sambal Oelek)
- 2 tsp. Siracha
- 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
- 2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 pork chops, butterflied, about 4 pounds total
- 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 4 French bread rolls
Directions:
- Whisk together 2 tbsp. of the vegetable oil, fish sauce, syrup, brown sugar, chili paste, Siracha, ginger, soy sauce, and onions in a large bowl.
- Add pork chops and evenly coat with marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- Whisk together apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Place cabbage, carrots, radishes and cilantro in a medium bowl. Pour in vinegar-mayo mixture and toss well to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Place in refrigerator until needed.
- Remove pork from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place a cast iron or other skillet over medium high heat. Let it heat up for 30 – 45 seconds and then add the remaining 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil.
- Add pork and cook for 3 – 4 minutes per side, until a golden-brown crust develops on each side.
- Remove from heat and let rest loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes.
- While meat rests, toast the inside and outside of each roll in the skillet until golden brown. Add a little butter to the pan if it gets dry.
- After bread is toasted, thinly slice the pork against the grain. Divide amongst bread and top with slaw. Serve immediately.
Tagged: Asian flavors, banh mi, bread, cabbage, cilantro, garlic, ginger, pork, Sambal Oelek, sandwiches, Siracha, slaw, soy sauce
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