Banh mi thit

Ingredients

• 2Vietnamese baguettes (see note) or other similar crusty white bread rolls
• 2 tbspstore-bought pork liver pâté (see note)
• 1 largeLebanese cucumber, cut lengthwise into 4, seeds removed
• ½ cupcoriander sprigs 
• 2spring onions, green part only 
• Maggi Seasoning sauce (see note) or soy sauce and sliced red bird’s-eye chillies, to serve

Mayonnaise

• 1egg
• 1 tsplemon juice
• 125 ml(½ cup) vegetable oil

Pickled carrot

• 80 ml(⅓ cup) white vinegar
• 75 g(⅓ cup) white sugar
• 1 largecarrot, peeled, coarsely shredded

Lemongrass pork

• 125 gminced pork
• 3 tspgrated palm sugar
• 3 tspfish sauce
• 2 tspsoy sauce
• ½lemongrass stalk, green part reserved, white part finely chopped
• ¼ tspcrushed garlic
• 2 tspvegetable oil

Instructions

Standing time: 1 hour

To make mayonnaise, place egg and lemon juice in a small bowl and gradually whisk in oil until thick and emulsified. Add 1 tbsp water and whisk to combine. Season with salt and refrigerate until needed. Makes 1 cup.

To make pickled carrot, place vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and remove from heat. Place carrot in a bowl, pour over vinegar mixture, add 1 tsp salt and stir to combine. Stand for 1 hour or until cool. Drain carrots, discarding liquid, and refrigerate until needed.

To make pork, knead mince in a bowl with ½ tsp salt until smooth. Working in 2 batches, gather a ball of mince and throw it back into the bowl, repeating for 2 minutes, to tenderise. Add sugar, fish sauce, soy, lemongrass and garlic. Mix well to combine. Halve reserved lemongrass and shape pork mixture around each piece to make 2 x 10 cm pork 'kebabs'.

Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue to medium. Rub oil over pork and cook for 4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Split baguettes open and spread with mayonnaise and pâté. Cut pork 'kebabs' in half lengthwise and divide among baguettes. Add pickled carrot, cucumber, coriander and spring onion, and season with Maggi Seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Scatter with chillies, to serve.

Refrigerate leftover pickled carrot in its liquid in an airtight container for up to 1 month and the mayonnaise for up to 4 days.