Banh Mi is rising to popularity: a French inspired Vietnamese sandwich that’s making an impact on the American street food scene. French colonization in Vietnam has led to a slew of interesting dishes. Banh Mi is a prime example. Typically made with french bread, Banh Mi sandwiches combine pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, spicy mayonnaise, and some type of savory Vietnamese meat: lemongrass beef, spicy pork, Vietnamese sausage, etc.

Banh Mi Sliders are my own interpretation, perfect for parties. Same ingredients, same delicious combination of flavors, but in a small, party-friendly package. Ground pork patties are flavored with lemongrass, basil, and Thai chilies, then kissed on the grill. Served with pickled carrots, fresh cilantro, and a sriracha spiked mayo, this dish is the perfect way to introduce Vietnamese flavors to your friends!

Ingredients (Makes 8-12 sliders…depending on thickness of patties)

8-12 slider buns

1 lb ground pork

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 inch ginger (grated)

2 green onions (chopped)

1/4 cup chopped Thai Basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

3 stalks lemongrass (inner bulb) (finely chopped)

3 thai chilies (chopped)

1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Pickled Carrots

4 carrots (peeled and cut into thin strips)

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4-6 black peppercorns

Spicy Mayo

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

Other Ingredients

1/2 red onion sliced

Bunch of Cilantro

Method

Start by peeling 8 carrots and cutting into thin strips (julienne). Combine carrots with vinegar, sugar, salt, and peppercorns and let sit for at least two hours. Mix 1 cup mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce and reserve. Combine all ingredients for meat patties and divide into eight-twelve equal portions. Roll into balls and flatten with palm of your hand to form small patties. Heat a greased grill to high temperature and cook patties for about 3 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. In the meantime, you may toast slider buns on upper rack in grill for about 2 minutes. To assemble sliders, place patty on bottom bun, then top with pickled carrots, sliced red onion, and fresh cilantro leaves. Spread a liberal amount of spicy may onto the other bun and top. Enjoy!