Grilled Vietnamese Skirt Steak Sandwiches (Banh Mi)
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time50 minutes
- 1
Banh mi began with Vietnam's lighter, fluffier take on the baguette—the name roughly translates to “wheat bread”—and are arguably the most prominent example in a history of innovative takes on French cuisine. Crumbs get pulled out to make room for the filling—meat, pickles, mayonnaise, maybe some cilantro—a signature mix of savory, sweet, crunchy and herbal. We take banh mi to the grill, lightly charring skirt steak for crunch and flavor. Use a supermarket baguette or French rolls with an airy crumb and thin, brittle crust, for this sandwich, not a chewy, rustic bread. You'll need four 7- to 8-inch pieces of bread; cut one or two baguettes into sections or use individual rolls. Pâté is a classic filling—it adds richness—but the sandwiches are perfectly delicious without it. Other possible additions include thinly sliced cucumber, thin rounds of jalapeño and Sriracha.
Don’t shred the carrots and daikon finely. Use the large holes on a box grater so that the vegetables retain their crunchy texture. Equally important: Don't prepare the carrot-radish pickle too far in advance. If left to stand too long in the pickling liquid, the vegetables will lose their crunchy texture.
Step 1
In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce and 1 teaspoon salt until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the carrot and daikon; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, chilies, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside.
In another medium bowl, stir together the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, the remaining 3 teaspoons fish sauce, the garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the steak and rub the seasoning mixture into the meat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for high-heat cooking. For a charcoal grill, ignite a large chimney of coals, let burn until lightly ashed over, then distribute evenly over one side of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. For a gas grill, turn half of the burners to high. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate.
While the grill heats, using your fingers, pull out some of the interior crumb of each piece of bread. The remaining crust and crumb should be about ¾ inch thick.
When the grill is ready, pat the steak dry with paper towels and place on the hot side of the grill. Cook, uncovered, until lightly charred on both sides and the center of the thickest part is pink when cut into, 4 to 6 minutes total, flipping once halfway through. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes. Working in batches if needed, place the bread cut sides up on the cool side of the grill and toast until the crust is crisp, 1 to 2 minutes, turning and moving occasionally to avoid scorching.
Step 3
Cut the steak with the grain into 2-inch wide pieces, then thinly slice each piece against the grain. Stir the accumulated juices from the rested steak into the mayonnaise mixture, then spread onto the cut sides of the top halves of the bread.
If using pâté, spread it on the bottom halves of the bread, dividing it evenly. Layer the steak on the pâté, then top with the carrot-radish slaw and cilantro. Cover with the top halves of the bread.
