Banh Mi Burger

Hey all you regular readers of my blog!  (Crickets....) Awkward:).  Well if there is anyone keeping track of my no repeat policy on dinners and this blog, you may see that this is the second bahn mi burger.  The first one, Vietnamese-Style Banh Mi Burgers, were good but these were much better. They had several differences which I say count as different dinners. (the biggest difference is this burger is pork and the other was beef)  I can't even begin to describe how good they are!  Even without the few changes I would make for next time, these are a family favorite.  They were devoured!  The changes I think need to be made: slightly less meat per burger, more of all the veggies and a little less mayonnaise.  Why?  The traditional bahn mi has very little meat on it, and more is less in this instance.  The extra veggies may have only been a result of the extra meat, but why not add more veggies if you can.  They added a nice fresh crunch.  As for the mayo, in my bahn mi, the mayo is slathered and baked so it kind of dissolves into the bread.  In this burger, the mayo is there and while wasn't bad, it seemed too much.  I can't fault the recipe on that; it just says mayo and no measurement.  I personally would have left the sugar out of the meat, but the boys didn't find it to be on the sweet side, so that may just be me.  In short, MAKE THIS BURGER!!!:)


Banh Mi Burger
1    large carrot,peeled and cut -into 1/8-inch thick match
Kosher salt
3    Tbs. granulated sugar
1/4 c  white vinegar
1 lb ground pork
1    -1/2 Tbs. chili garlic sauce
1/2    Tbs. fish sauce
1/2    Tbs. fresh lime juice
Canola or vegetable oil for brushing
4    crusty rolls,such as French baguettes, split
1/4    medium English cucumber,cut into 16-1/8-inch slices
1    medium jalapeño,cut into 16 thin slices
1/2 c  loosely packed cilantro leaves
4    thin slices of ham
Mayonnaise
Put the carrots in a medium bowl and sprinkle with 1-1/2 tsp. of the
sugar and 1/2 tsp. of salt. Using your hands, toss the carrots in the
salt and sugar to begin expelling the water from them, about 3 minutes.
They will soften and liquid will begin to pool in the bottom of the
bowl.   The carrots are ready when they can bend easily without
snapping in half and they have lost about a third of their volume.
Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Gently press down on
the carrots to push out any additional water.
In the same bowl, combine 2 Tbs. of the sugar, the vinegar, and 1/4 cup
of lukewarm water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the carrots to
the pickling liquid (the liquid should be covering the carrots) and let
sit for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the pork, chili garlic sauce, fish sauce, lime juice,
and the remaining 1-1/2 tsp. sugar. Shape into four 4-inch wide, 1/2-
inch-thick patties and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Prepare a gas or charcoal grill or a grill pan at medium-high heat.
Brush and oil the grates.
Make a thumbprint in the center of each of the burgers and then place
on the grill. Grill the first side until grill marks form, about 4
minutes. Flip and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer
reads 145F, about 3 minutes more.
Remove the burgers from the grill and let rest on a plate. Place the
buns on the grill and toast until grill marks form on both sides, about
1 minute per side.
Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on the upper and lower halves of
the buns. Lay a burger on the lower bun and top with a quarter of the
carrot pickle, 4 cucumber slices, 4 jalapeo slices, a few cilantro
leaves, a slice of ham, and the top half of the bun. Repeat with the
other 3 burgers and serve.