Vietnamese pork belly Bánh mì

The secret to this homemade version of Australia's favourite lunchtime takeaway dish is nailing that crispy pork belly – and this recipe has a simple, tried and tested technique for just that.

Credit: Sippakorn Wongthanapa

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 400 g piece pork belly, skin on
• 2 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 4 crusty white long bread rolls
• 100 g chicken liver pâté
• 85 g (⅓ cup) mayonnaise
• 1 small Lebanese cucumber, sliced into batons
• 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
• Coriander sprigs, to serve

Quick pickled carrot

• 1 large carrot, finely julienned
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp white sugar

Chilling time: Overnight

Instructions

1. Use a ruler and a Stanley knife to score the pork belly skin at 1 cm intervals. Generously season the skin side, then rub the salt into the score marks. Try not to slice too deep, you just want to score the top slightly. Place on a tray, then refrigerate uncovered overnight to ensure you draw as much moisture from the skin as possible before cooking. This will help to give you a nice crispy crackling.
2. The following day, preheat the oven to 220°C.
3. Pat dry the pork belly skin with a paper towel until completely dry, then place in a roasting pan. You will have wiped most of the salt off, so sprinkle it with a little more. If you find your pork belly skin is not completely flat, place some scrunched up foil underneath the pork belly in the place where it dips down. This will allow the heat to evenly crisp up the crackling while cooking.
4. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150°C and cook for another 20 minutes or until the crackling is crisp all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, to make the carrot pickle, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stand for at least 15 minutes before serving, or refrigerate until ready to assemble.
6. Thinly slice the pork belly against the grain.
7. To assemble the banh mi, split the bread rolls in half, leaving the two sides attached. Spread the pâté over one half of the bread rolls. Top with the pork, then spread some mayonnaise on the opposite side. Top with the drained pickled carrot, cucumber, chill and a few sprigs of coriander. Serve immediately or wrap in baking paper if you’re taking them on a hike or picnic.

Note: A Stanley knife is a sharp retractable blade used as a utility tool.

Watch how to make this recipe in Episode 7 of Marion Grasby's Flavours Of Heart & Home streaming free on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.