Miss Hay’s Vietnamese Po’boy
| Serves | 4 |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Pork, Vegetables |
| Day Part | Dinner, Lunch |
| Menu Part | Sandwich/Wrap |
| Cuisine Type | Asian |
Source: NOLA
Chef Mottola fuses the culinary traditions of New Orleans and Vietnam into one flavorful sandwich. The classic po'boy is filled with tender pork and pate, then enhanced with regional Louisiana ingredients and the fish sauce, pickled vegetables and fresh herbs that characterize Vietnamese cuisine. It’s a marriage that hits many of the flavor cues today’s customers are seeking.
Ingredients
1 lb. pork butt
1 packet (1.76 oz.) roast red pork seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. duck or chicken livers
1 yellow onion, minced
2 bunches green onions, white portions only, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 large carrots, julienned
1 tbsp. minced garlic
4 pieces po'boy bread or individual Vietnamese banh mi loaves (8-inch size), halved lengthwise
Mayonnaise, to taste
1 large cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 to 3 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and julienned
1 cup cilantro sprigs
Soy sauce, to taste
Steps
- Cut pork into long strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. In medium bowl, combine packet of seasoning mix with water; stir to dissolve. Add pork and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Meanwhile, make pate: Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add livers, onion and green onions; saute until onion is translucent.
- Add chicken stock, fish sauce and black pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook until livers are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; strain livers in a coarse sieve (reserve cooking liquid separately). Transfer the livers and vegetables to bowl of a food processor and allow to cool briefly.
- Cover and process liver mixture until smooth, adding as much of the cooking liquid as necessary to form a smooth mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to make the sandwiches, up to several days in advance.
- To make the pickled carrots, combine vinegar and sugar in medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved; remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, transfer mixture to a nonreactive bowl and add carrots and garlic. Refrigerate until ready to make the sandwiches, up to several days in advance.
- For service, preheat oven to 400°F. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry; discard marinade. Place pork on foil-lined baking sheet and bake (uncovered) for 20 minutes.
- Remove pork from oven and allow to cool briefly; slice pork crosswise into thin slices. (Alternatively, the pork may be grilled or broiled.)
- Place bread in oven until warmed through and slightly crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread bottom cut sides of bread with mayonnaise; divide pork slices evenly among sandwich bottoms. Top with the cucumber slices, pickled carrots, julienned jalapenos and cilantro sprigs. Sprinkle lightly with soy sauce if desired. Spread top cut sides of bread with pate; place on top to close the sandwiches. Serve immediately.