1. 09 February 2010 · 09:50 PM · 1 note

    Taco 016: Bánh Mì Tacos

    I am an expert on tacos (which you know) and sandwiches (which you may not have known). So trust me that I speak from authority when I tell you this sandwich taco is fantastic. Top-ranked taco. So good. Yes.

    As you probably know, bánh mì are popular Vietnamese sandwiches which take tofu or pork, cilantro, and bunch of other Asian goodness, and smoosh it in a split-open baguette. (Admitting that, yes, bánh mì are tasty remnants of colonialism and these things happen.) San Jose, CA, not far from where I live now, has the largest Vietnamese population in the US, followed not far behind by the Northern Virginia suburbs of DC, where I used to live, so I have had chances to try a few bánh mì. However, I think you can probably find a good bánh mì in most any city of the US or Canada at this point.

    At the end of 2009, The Kitchn ran a round up of their favorite veg and vegan recipes from the year and included this recipe for lemongrass tofu bánh mì. Ever since, the idea of making the sandwiches at home had been kicking around in my head, but I never got around to it.

    Eventually, I realized: Replace the Euro-bread with a tortilla and it would make an awesome taco. I acutally might like this better than a real bánh mì, because the carb-to-filling ratio is majorly reduced and it really emphasizes the best stuff. Finding myself with both a big bunch of cilantro and a bag of beautiful, rainbow-colored carrots from the CSA this week, my plan was clear.

    The results of taco bánh mì were terrific. Easily one of the best made for this blog yet. I highly recommend you give these a try.

    Bánh Mì Tacos - Adapted from The Kitchn

    I. Quick Pickle Carrots
    INGREDIENTS
    2 cup carrots, julienned
    1/4 cup sugar
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup white vinegar
    1 cup water

    PROCEDURE
    1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
    2. Cover and stash bowl in the fridge at least an hour.
    3. Strain before serving.

    II. Lemongrass Tofu
    INGREDIENTS
    1 tbs soy sauce
    1 tbs vegetable oil
    1 tsp sesame oil
    2 blubs lemongrass (I used 1.5 tbs from a pre-prepared jar)
    1 clove garlic, minced
    block of extra-firm tofu

    PROCEDURE
    1. Press it. Smoooosh.
    2. Mix the non-tofu ingredients together in a wide, shallow vessel.
    3. Chop the tofu into tidy, taco-size bites.
    4. Dunk in tofu bites in the marinade and see to it that all sides get sauced.
    5. Cover and allow to marinate for an hour.

    III. Cilantro Sauce
    INGREDIENTS
    4 tbs mayonnaise (yogurt would probably also work)
    2 tbs cilantro, minced
    1 tsp soy sauce
    2 tbs sriracha

    PROCEDURE
    1. Mince up the cilantro quite fine.
    2. Whip everything together in a wee bowl. You want a pretty saturated solution of cilantro::goo, so if you need to mince up some more and add it, feel free.

    IV. Other Stuff
    INGREDIENTS
    1 jalapeño pepper
    more cilantro
    tortillas

    PROCEDURE
    1. Dice the jalapeño. Remove the seeds if you are that kind of person.
    2. Roughly chop up a small handful of cilantro.
    3. Assemble tacos by smearing cilantro sauce on the tortilla, adding tofu and carrots, and topping with a bit of jalapeño and sprigs of cilantro on top. Add additional sriracha to taste.

    1. tacotuesdays posted this