Happy Fine Art Friday! This week’s art inspired recipe is really a personal favorite. As I was typing this up I was practically drooling because these Bahn Mi burgers are THAT good. It took me several tries to get the meat tasting just like the Bahn Mi sandwiches I used to get in San Francisco, but third time’s a charm, and not to brag, but I nailed it.

The key to getting the flavor just right was in the herb paste. The herb paste may look familiar, as I used it recently in my Chicken Teriyaki with Grilled Pineapple and Coconut Rice, and man is it versatile. It gives the meat so much flavor, and the addition of minced pancetta gives the ground pork that extra bit of needed fat to keep things juicy as can be.

A Bahn Mi would not be a Bahn Mi without a mile high tower of toppings. Crunchy lettuce, cooling cucumbers, pickled veggies, spicy jalapeños, cilantro, and my sriracha mayo take this burger over the top. It’s like salad with a side of burger, so you know you’re being healthy.

Bahn Mi Burgers

Ingredients:

Herb Paste:

2 Tbsp lemongrass, chopped (tough outer leaves removed, and white parts only)

1 Tbsp ginger, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 C cilantro, leaves and tender stems

3 scallions, cut into 2” pieces

3 Tbsp canola oil

Pickled Carrots and Daikon:

2 C shredded carrots

2 C sliced daikon radish

1/3 C unseasoned rice wine vinegar

2 tsp kosher salt

4 Tbsp sugar

Meat:

5 oz pancetta, minced

1 lb ground pork

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

3 Tbsp herb paste

pinch kosher salt

pepper

Sriracha Mayo:

1/3 C mayo

1 Tbsp lime juice

2 tsp Sriracha

Toppings:

2 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

lettuce

cilantro

6 kaiser rolls

Make herb paste by combining lemongrass, ginger, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and canola oil in a food processor. Puree until a smooth paste forms.

In a large bowl combine shredded carrots, sliced daikon radish, sugar, salt, and rice wine vinegar. Stir to combine, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. These can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator if needed.

In a food processor puree the pancetta until a paste forms. Transfer to a large bowl. Add ground pork, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, 3 Tbsp herb paste, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until everything is combined, and form into 6 patties.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat an oven proof skillet over medium heat until very hot. Cook 2-3 burgers at a time to avoid over crowding and steaming the meat. Cook the patties 5 minutes per side to form a nice brown crust, and then transfer to the oven. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

While the burgers are cooking make the mayo. In a small bowl combine mayo, lime juice, and sriracha. Stir until well mixed.

Toast buns, and slather with a generous amount of sriracha mayo. Top with burger patty, lettuce, pickled carrots and daikon, sliced cucumber, jalapeños, and cilantro.