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L. Nguyen

Classic Bánh Mì Thịt Nguội

The definitive cold cut bánh mì. Chả lụa, chả bì, and pâté layered on a Glass Crust baguette with pickled daikon and carrot, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño. Every component has a job. [ INTERMEDIATE ]
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Pickle Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

The Bread
  • 4 bánh mì baguettes
The Cold Cuts
  • 200 g chả lụa (Vietnamese pork roll) thinly sliced
  • 150 g chả bì (shredded pork skin sausage) thinly sliced
  • 100 g head cheese or pâté de campagne
The Spread
  • 60 g Vietnamese mayonnaise (recipe at banhmilabs.com/vietnamese-banh-mi-mayonnaise-recipe) or Kewpie if using store-bought
  • 60 g liver pâté store-bought is fine
The Pickles
  • 200 g daikon radish, julienned
  • 200 g carrots, julienned
  • 120 ml unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 120 ml water
  • 30 g sugar
  • 8 g fine sea salt
The Finish
  • 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1 large handful fresh cilantro
  • 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
  • Maggi Seasoning Sauce, to taste

Equipment

  • Bread knife
  • Mandoline slicer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Kitchen scale

Method
 

  1. Combine the rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve completely. Add the julienned daikon and carrots. Press them down so they are fully submerged. Leave at room temperature for at least 1 hour. The vegetables are ready when they have softened slightly and taste sharp and clean. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  2. Split each baguette lengthwise, cutting about three quarters of the way through. Do not cut all the way through. The hinge keeps the sandwich together. Open the bread and press it flat gently with your palm.
  3. Spread a thin, even layer of mayonnaise on both inner surfaces of the bread. Then spread the pâté on the bottom half only. The mayonnaise goes on both sides. The pâté stays on the bottom. The fat layers create a moisture barrier that keeps the bread from going soggy. Do not skip either one.
  4. Lay the chả lụa slices on the pâté layer first. Add the chả bì on top. Finish with a thin layer of head cheese if using. The cold cuts should cover the full length of the bread without stacking too thick in any one spot.
  5. Lay the cucumber slices along the length of the sandwich. Add a generous amount of drained pickled daikon and carrot. The pickles should be piled slightly higher than you think is right. They compress when you close the sandwich.
  6. Add the cilantro sprigs whole. Do not chop them. Lay the jalapeño slices over the top. Add 3 to 4 drops of Maggi Seasoning Sauce directly onto the filling. Close the sandwich and press down firmly with your palm. Serve immediately.

Notes

Vietnamese mayonnaise is the correct choice here. The recipe is on this site. If you do not have time to make it from scratch, Kewpie is the correct store-bought substitute. Do not use standard mayonnaise. The flavour profile is different enough to affect the finished sandwich.
Chả lụa and chả bì are available at Vietnamese grocery stores and most Asian supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute with good quality mortadella for the chả lụa and roast pork for the chả bì.
If you are outside a major Vietnamese market, build the sandwich with chả lụa and pâté only. A two-component thịt nguội is still correct. A thịt nguội made with poor substitutes is not.