Meatball Banh Mi

I know I should be baking Christmas treats, but I thought you would forgive me for sharing these utterly addictive parcels of juicy meatballs, punchy pickles, spicy sauce and soft bread. You do forgive me, don't you?


Meatball Banh Mi
slightly adapted from here
Makes 8

For the Meatballs:
500g ground pork
4 spring onions, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white pepper
2cm fresh ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Asian Pickles:
2 carrots, julienned
5-6 red rashides, julienned
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Sriracha Mayo:
1/2 cup Japanese mayo (Kewpie)
1 tablespoon Sriracha

To Serve:
1/4 cup coriander leaves
8 Vietnamese style baguettes
Pickles jalapenos

Make the Meatballs:
Put all the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands, squeezing the mixture until it is sticky. Wet your hands and roll the mixture into walnut-size balls. You should get about 24 balls. Put them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Make the Asian Pickles:
Put all of the Asian Pickle ingredients into a bowl and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour (no longer than 6 hours).

Make the Sriracha Mayo:
Put the Mayo ingredients into a small bowl and mix well. Set aside until needed.

Assemble the Banh Mi:
Split the baquettes down the middle, but not all the way through. Smear the insides with a generous helping of the Sriracha Mayo. Stuff with meatballs and the drained Asian Pickles and top with pickled jalapenos and coriander leaves.