Pork Belly Bánh Mì Sliders with Carrot-Daikon Slaw, Cucumber, and Cilantro

Serves 8-12 (24 Sliders) Prep Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 4 hours Wine Pairings: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir

This fun appetizer is a combination of two trendy American foods: pork belly and bánh mì. Bánh mì is Vietnamese for “bread,” but it is also used for the popular Vietnamese sandwich of a baguette stuffed with meat, pickled vegetables, and cilantro. This recipe for pork belly yields an incredibly crispy skin, which adds a nice crunchy texture to the sliders. When purchasing pork belly, choose a piece that has a high proportion of meat. Ingredients

Marinade ⅓ cup mirin ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds pork belly with skin in tact

Slaw ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar ¼ cup water 2 carrots, peeled and shredded 1 (4-inch) piece daikon radish, peeled and shredded 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Other 1 cup fine sea salt ½ cup mayonnaise 24 mini-baguettes, halved lengthwise 48 thin slices English cucumber 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

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Directions

Marinate the pork belly: 1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. 2. Pour the marinade into a rectangular pan large enough to hold the pork belly. 3. Pat the skin of the pork belly dry with paper towels. 4. Place the pork belly, skin side up, in the pan, making sure that only the meat touches the marinade and the skin stays completely dry. 5. Cover the pan and refrigerator for 4 hours or up to overnight.

Make the slaw: 1. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and water and bring to a boil. 2. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, mix together the carrots, daikon, and chil. 3. When the vinegar-water mixture reaches a boil, pour it over the vegetables, add the salt, and stir to combine. 4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight, stirring once or twice.

Roast the pork belly: 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Fill a roasting pan with water to a depth of about 1 inch. 3. Place a rack in the roasting pan and lay the pork belly, skin side up, on the rack. 4. Spread as much of the salt as possible over the skin of the pork belly to evenly cover the skin. (You may not need all of the salt.) 5. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and roast the pork belly until the salt forms a solid crust, about 45 minutes. If the water evaporates during this time, add more water without splashing the pork. 6. Remove the pork belly from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 450°F. 7. Discard the salt cap. (It should lift off in a single piece.) 8. Return the pork belly to the oven and bake until the skin is bubbly and crisp, about 40 minutes. 9. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. 10. Cut the pork belly into ¼-inch-thick slices. You should have 24 slices.

Assemble: 1. Spread the mayonnaise on the cut sides of each baguette. 2. Place a slice of pork belly on the bottom half of each baguette and layer the pickled vegetables, cucumber, and cilantro over the pork. 3. Close each sandwich with a baguette top and fix with a skewer or toothpick.

For more recipes visit: silveroak.com/recipes