mini banh mis with lemongrass pork meatballs
i wanted to have something a little more substantial at our vietnamese wine bar party while still keeping everything easy to eat with your hands, and mini banh mis felt like the no-duh choice. the boy had also been wanting to make lemongrass pork for a while, and i originally suggested turning it into meatballs for the sandwiches. instead, he shaped the pork into these mini patties that fit perfectly inside the mini french rolls we picked up from whole foods.
the patties are packed with lemongrass, garlic, scallions, and just the right balance of savory and sweet. tucked into toasted rolls with mayo, pickled carrots and daikon, fresh cilantro, and sliced jalapeños, they have everything i love about a classic bánh mì in a bite-sized version. they’re also great for entertaining since you can prep the pork ahead of time and bake all the patties at once before assembling.
we loved them so much (read: we bought too much lemongrass) that we’ve been remaking the mixture as meatballs for lunch bowls ever since.
i used
for the lemongrass pork meatballs (makes 15 patties, or 24 meatballs):
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass (~1 stalk)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/4 cup panko
- 1 large egg
- black pepper
for the banh mis:
- 15 mini french bread rolls
- 15 lemongrass pork patties
- mayonnaise (i used kewpie)
- pickled carrots and daikon
- thinly sliced jalapeño
- cilantro
to make:
- in a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients and mix until just combined
- chill the mixture in the fridge for 10-15 minutes so that it firms up a little to shape
- with oiled hands, divide the mixture into 15 portions (or 24 portions if making meatballs!) and shape each into a patty about 3 inches wide and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
- place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for ~15-18 minutes until internal temp reaches 165F. optionally, you can broil on high for the last ~1-2 minutes to get the tops to brown
- to assemble mini bánh mìs: let the patties rest for 5–10 minutes. spread mayo onto toasted mini baguettes, then layer with a pork patty, pickled carrots and daikon, thinly sliced jalapeños, and fresh cilantro.
- prep note: you can prep the pork mixture one day in advance, just pull it out of the fridge ~20 minutes before cooking to allow it to cook more evenly
Lemongrass Pork Meatballs
Ingredients
for the lemongrass pork meatballs (makes 15 patties, or 24 meatballs):
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass ~1 stalk
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/4 cup panko
- 1 large egg
- black pepper
for the banh mis:
- 15 mini french bread rolls
- 15 lemongrass pork patties
- mayonnaise i used kewpie
- pickled carrots and daikon
- thinly sliced jalapeño
- cilantro
Instructions
- in a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients and mix until just combined
- chill the mixture in the fridge for 10-15 minutes so that it firms up a little to shape
- with oiled hands, divide the mixture into 15 portions (or 24 portions if making meatballs!) and shape each into a patty about 3 inches wide and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
- place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for ~15-18 minutes until internal temp reaches 165F. optionally, you can broil on high for the last ~1-2 minutes to get the tops to brown
- to assemble mini bánh mìs: let the patties rest for 5–10 minutes. spread mayo onto toasted mini baguettes, then layer with a pork patty, pickled carrots and daikon, thinly sliced jalapeños, and fresh cilantro.