Lt. Dan’s Beef Bahn Mi

Bahn mi literally means “bread or baguette” in Vietnamese. This tasty recipe for a beef version of a bahn mi sandwich was inspired by Lt. Dan Taylor when he tells Forrest and Bubba that steaks are on the grill when they first arrive in Vietnam. Lemongrass paste and ginger paste may be found in the produce section of your local grocery store. 

For the beef:
1 (2½ -pound) chuck beef roast
Salt and pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemongrass paste
3 tablespoons ginger paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Gochujang (Korean chili sauce) or siracha, optional
Place beef roast in a crock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add the next 9 ingredients and spread over the roast with a spatula. Cover crock pot and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat is fork tender. When meat is done, remove from crock pot and shred, using two forks. Add some of the cooking liquid to the shredded beef to keep the meat moist.

For the pickled vegetables:
7 radishes, very thinly sliced
½ English cucumber, very thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup hot water
½ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Place cut vegetables in a nonreactive dish. Add vinegar, sugar and salt to hot water and whisk until smooth. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

For the spicy mayonnaise:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Gochujang (Korean chili sauce) or siracha
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble the sandwiches:
2 French baguettes or sandwich rolls
Fresh cilantro
Sliced jalapenos, optional
Split French baguettes in half lengthwise. Spread spicy mayonnaise on both sides of bread. Add shredded beef, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and sliced jalapenos. Cut sandwiches in half and serve. Makes six 10-inch sandwiches.