You know the sandwich. Slivers of spicy jalapeño. Pickled goodness. Melt-in-your-mouth pork. Yeah, that one. Now let’s make it into a plate of nachos: banh mi nachos. #nom
Sriracha chips are the obvious choice here. How do you make a Banh Mi way better? Spice it up with flavorful, crunchy, seedy deliciousness. Everything that our fave Sriracha Way Better Snacks have to offer.
Then come the toppings. Quick pickling the veggies is key here, adding an element of acidity and saltiness that completes the iconic sandwich. The good news is that doing a homemade quick pickle is super simple and an awesome trick to add to your homecooking culinary arsenal. With just some salt, sugar, water, and vinegar, you are able to transform basic veggies like radishes and carrots into perfectly pickled pops of flavor.
We then bring in all of the classic Vietnamese spices that are quintessential to the original Banh Mi Sandwich. Fish and soy sauce, lemongrass, garlic–it’s a marriage of flavor that will permeate the pork and really make these nachos way better in every way.
Okay. Enough talk. We’re literally drooling over here. It’s time to whip up these Banh Mi Nachos. Best news? They’ll be ready in the the time it normally takes you to watch an episode of The Mindy Project.
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Banh Mi Nachos
Ingredients
FOR THE PICKLED DAIKON AND CARROT
1 large carrot (8 oz.)
8 oz. daikon radish
1 tsp salt
5 Tbsp white sugar
½ cup hot water
1 cup water
¼ cup distilled vinegar
FOR THE PORK
8 oz ground pork (as unseasoned as possible)
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp minced lemongrass
1 tsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
¼ cup minced shallots
¼ cup minced green onion
FOR ASSEMBLY:
1 bag of Way Better Sriracha Corn Tortilla Chips
4 oz. shredded white cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
1 jalapeño, sliced to thin rounds
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Preparation
*Begin by making the pickled daikon and carrot, preferably at least 24 hours before you plan to make the rest of the recipe.
Cut both the carrot and daikon into matchsticks slightly shorter than the jar you plan to use.
Toss the matchsticks with the salt and let sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes (quite a bit of liquid should be released) rinse well (multiple times) with cool water.
Drain the water and pat the matchsticks completely dry.
Dissolve the sugar into the hot water, stirring until totally dissolved. Add the remaining (cool) water and distilled vinegar. Stir.
Put the matchsticks into your clean jars, then pour the vinegar solution into the jars until just covering the matchsticks. Cover, and refrigerate. Let these sit for 24 hours, or more if you want a more pickled taste.
To make the pork, begin by browning the pork in a frying pan, breaking it apart with a spatula. When it is brown on the outside, add the garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, and shallots. Stir well and cook until the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add the green onions.
To assemble the nachos, layer the chips with the shredded cheese, jalapeño, and pork. Broil, about 5” away from the coils, for 3-5 minutes, or until all of the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and top with a handful of the pickled daikon and carrots, along with the cilantro.
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