Muc Nhoi Thit, Bánh Mì Xíu Mai, and Other Favorites #EattheWorld

Culinary Cam

1 hour ago

5 min read

This month the Eat the World bloggers are turning their focus on Vietnam. Read more about the Eat the World project here. And click here to see One Hundred Months of #EattheWorld.

The Other Posts

Fried Cheese & Potato Rice Paper Wraps by Sneha's Recipe
Muc Nhoi Thit, Bánh Mì Xíu Mai, and Other Favorites by Culinary Cam (you're here)
Pork Spare Rib Soup with Potatoes & Carrots (Canh Sườn Khoai Tây Cà Rốt) by Amy's Cooking Adventures
Vietnamese Baked Chicken by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Vietnam: Fun Facts

I have never been to Vietnam, but one of my best friends was born there. I wanted to share a few fun facts.

Vietnam is home to 54 different ethnic groups
Vietnam is home to the world’s largest cave
The lotus is Vietnam’s national flower
Vietnam is highly influenced by the French
Vietnam has 77 million registered motorbikes
Floating markets are a way of life in Southern Vietnam
Speed dating originated in Vietnam’s hill tribes
Nguyen is the most common surname in Vietnam
Vietnam is the world’s largest exporter of cashew nuts
Vietnam is a tropical country where it snows

Muc Nhoi Thit (Stuffed Squid)

Ingredients

1 pound cleaned squids
olive oil
paprika
sea salt

Filling

1/2 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 t minced lemongrass

Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tablespoons organic granulated sugar
½ cup water
2 ½ Tablespoons fish sauce
1 garlic clove, finely minced, optional (though garlic is never optional in my mind!)
1 or 2 Thai chilis, thinly sliced

Also needed: toothpicks, grill pan

Procedure

Note: the Nuoc Cham can be made a day ahead of time

Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

Whisk together the lime juice, sugar, and water. Completely dissolve the sugar. Add the fish sauce, garlic, and chilis. If making this ahead of time, place in a jar and refrigerate. Makes approximately 3/4 cup sauce.

Filling

In mixing bowl, blend all of the ingredients together until well-combined. Set aside.

Squid

Carefully stuff the pork mixture into the cleaned squids. Be gentle and don't overstuff them. "Stitch" the open ends together with a toothpick.

Bring a large, flat bottom pot full of water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Gently lower the stuffed squid into the water and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes to precook the meat filling. While the squid simmers, heat your grill or grill pan and keep it at a medium temperature. Grease your pan or grill.

Cook the squid on the grill to finish cooking the meat and to get nice grill marks on the squid, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

You can serve them whole or slice them into 1" pieces to show off the filling.

Bánh Mì Xíu Mai (Spicy Meatball Bánh Mì)

Bánh mì is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread, derived from bánh (bread) and mì (wheat). But, more often than not, it refers to the baguette which was introduced by the French during its colonial period. But when we say it, we're usually referring to the Vietnamese sandwiches that my boys adore. These sandwiches combine French ingredients such as baguettes, pâté, and mayonnaise with native Vietnamese ingredients such as cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon.

Ingredients

makes 15 sandwiches with 5 meatballs each (adjust as needed)

Meatballs

2 pounds ground pork
2 pounds ground turkey
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped basil
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced lemongrass
3 to 4 scallions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 to 2 Tablespoons gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Sriracha or other hot sauce

Sauce

1 to 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 to 3 Tablespoons gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
2 to 3 Tablespoons Sriracha or other hot sauce
1 Tablespoon organic dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water

Pickled Carrots and Daikon

4 to 5 medium carrots, julienned (I used orange, yellow, and purple carrots)
1 daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer)
4 Tablespoons organic granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced cilantro

Spicy Mayo

1/2 cup organic mayonnaise
1 to 2 Tablespoons Sriracha or other hot sauce

To Assemble

4 baguettes, cut into 4 equal pieces and lightly toasted (I did made some gluten-free for a few guests)
pâté
fresh cilantro

Procedure

Pickled Carrots and Daikon

(This can be done the night before, but should be done at least six hours before serving.)

Place julienned carrots and sliced daikon in separate bowls. Bring the sugar, vinegar, and fish sauce to a simmer. Stir till the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the sesame oil and cilantro. Divide the hot liquid in half and pour half over the carrots and half over the daikon. Make sure the vegetables are as submerged as possible. Set aside until ready to serve.

Spicy Mayo

(This can be done the night before, but can also be done at the last minute.)

Place ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Stir together until well combined. Set aside.

Meatballs

(This can be done the night before, then you heat the meatballs in the sauce just before serving.)

In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together all of the ingredients until well-combined. Roll walnut-sized balls and place them on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes until well-browned.

Meatball Sauce

Place all ingredients in a large, flat bottom pan that can hold all of the meatballs. Bring to a simmer and swirl pan until sugar is dissolved. Lay the meatballs in the pan and stir to coat. Simmer until heated through.

To Assemble

(We had the guests each make their own.)

Open up each piece of bread. Spread the Sriracha mayonnaise on one side. Smear pâté on the other side. Place the meatballs on the bread. Top with picked carrots, pickled daikon, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Other Vietnamese Favorites

Summer Rolls and Nước Chấm, a Ubiquitous Vietnamese Dipping Sauce, Cà Phê Trứng (Vietnamese Egg Coffee), and Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm (Vietnamese Fried Chicken Wings).

A fun note: for my younger son's 8th grade graduation camping trip, I led teams of kids to prep menu from different countries; my kids attended the International School of Monterey, so internationalism and experiencing different cultures was part of their curriculum. For dinner Team Vietnam made summer rolls.