Banh Mi

This recipe is great because you can pre-chop and pickle the toppings and toss the rest into the slow cooker for later. We used this Kitchen Confidante recipe in our slow cooker, and it was delicious, but made a few changes:

For the pulled pork:

• 2-pound boneless pork shoulder roast (we couldn't find shoulder, and pork loin roast was on sale, so we snagged it)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 jalapeño, diced (Adjust for heat tolerance. I'd recommend removing the seeds from the jalapeños that are put into the slow cooker; you can leave the seeds for more heat)
• 1 2-inch piece of ginger, sliced thin
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup soy sauce (this turned out to be a salt bomb. I would recommend replacing some with beef or chicken stock to cut down on the salt).
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

For the pickled carrot: *

• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded carrots

For the picked onion:

• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 medium white or yellow onion sliced really thin

For the sandwiches:

• pickled carrots (above)
• picked onions (above)
• 2 long baguettes cut in thirds or 4-6 small rolls, split lengthwise
• mayonnaise (we made Sriracha Mayo at about 1/3 Sriracha to 2/3 Mayo)
• 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• reserved sauce from pulled pork
• hot sauce

1. Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper. In the insert of a slow cooker, stir together the jalapeño, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Nestle the pork shoulder in the liquid. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 (ours cooked really fast and was done, on high, at a little under 4 hours), until the pork is very tender, rotating once during cooking process if desired. When the pork is ready, shred the meat. Strain and reserve the sauce, skimming any fat if necessary. We ended up actually returning the shredded pork to the crockpot (on warm) with the strained sauce, and it worked to keep the meat moist for longer. I wouldn't leave it too long like this though as it would eventually dry out.
2. Make the pickled carrot and onion: In a medium glass bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Add the carrots and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Drain well and refrigerate until ready to use. (follow the same for white/yellow onion).
3. To assemble the sandwich, slice the baguettes or rolls in half lengthwise. You can also toast them briefly for a better crunch (depending on your baguette). For more room, use your fingers to hollow out the baguette some (save the bread for croutons or something). Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise (we spiked ours with Sriracha) on the bottom half (both if you're a condiment fan). Top with the pulled pork, cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots and onions, and sliced jalapeños. Drizzle with reserved sauce and hot sauce. Close the sandwiches and enjoy.