Pork Meatball Banh Mi

We spent last weekend in Southampton celebrating Carmen and Jim's engagement. It was a weekend of bike riding, barbecuing, champagne drinking and wedding planning. We are so excited for Carmen and Jim, and are looking forward to their upcoming wedding. On the trip back to Washington DC we had two hours to kill in Manhattan. Our first stop was the famous Joe's Pizza in Greenwich Village. After enjoying what some argue to be Manhattan's best pizza, Brent suggested visiting New York's famous Banh Mi joint. He raved of the Vietnamese sandwich so we took the long walk in the heat, working up an appetite for our second dinner. I had never even heard of Banh Mi, and it took just one bite to realize I had been missing out. I was determined to recreate this dish at home, and thanks to Bon Appetit's recipe, we can now enjoy this dish anytime.

Ingredients:

Hot Chili Mayo
2/3 cup mayo
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce

Meatballs
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup chopped basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Sandwiches
1 cup grated carrots
1 english cucumber, cut into long slices
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 baguette
Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles 
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions:

Hot Chili Mayo
Stir all the ingredients in a small bowl. Season with a touch of salt. Cover and chill. 

Meatballs
Gently mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll mixture into 1 inch meatballs. Arrange on a baking sheet, and keep cool. 

Sandwiches
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Let sit at room temperature for an hour, tossing occasionally. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Cut the  baguettes into 4 pieces. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each baguette with 3-4 meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place on top of meatballs. Press on baguette tops.