Get to the Chopper

Chapter 01 · Chopped Sandwiches

Banh Mi Chop

Crunchy, spicy, tangy, and nobody had to turn on anything.

Banh Mi Chop
Time
20 MIN
Serves
4
Skill
CHEF'S KNIFE
Tools
KNIFE, BOARD, BOWL, PEELER
Heat
Warm
Protein
Bring your own

The Vietnamese sandwich runs on contrast: rich meat, sharp quick pickles, cool cucumber, hot chile, fresh herbs. The pickles take ten minutes in the bowl while you chop everything else. A whole rotisserie chicken stands in for the roast pork, which is why this one serves 4.

The lineup

  • 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 6 radishes, sliced thin
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp sriracha, or to taste
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled from the bone (about 4 cups)
  • 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced thin
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced thin
  • 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
  • 4 small baguette rolls, split

The chop

  1. Toss the carrot, radishes, vinegar, sugar and salt in the bowl. Let sit 10 minutes while you prep the rest.
  2. Lift the pickles onto the board, leaving the liquid in the bowl.
  3. Whisk the mayonnaise, sriracha and soy sauce into the pickle liquid.
  4. Pile the chicken, cucumber, jalapeno and cilantro on the board with the pickles and rough chop.
  5. Scrape everything into the bowl and toss until coated.
  6. Taste, add more sriracha if you want it hotter, and pack into the rolls.

The extras

Dodge the Carbs

Skip the roll and the sugar: eat it as a slaw bowl or wrap it in butter lettuce.

Future You

The pickles keep a week in their liquid. The dressed filling is best the day it is made.

Show Off

Add a few fresh mint leaves and a squeeze of lime.

Flavor Bomb

Swap the chicken for 1 lb of cooked shrimp, rough chopped. Finish with a zigzag of Spicy Mayo or a spoonful of chili crisp.

Heat Dial

Mild: leave out the jalapeno and use plain mayonnaise. Warm: as written. Hot: jalapeno seeds in, and sriracha at the table.

Keep Your Fingers

Chile oil lingers. Wash your hands after the jalapeno and keep them away from your eyes.

More from Chopped Sandwiches

All recipes

Get the book on Amazon