Quick Bite: Asian Sensation

“You should be able to go to a restaurant, feel good about what you eat, and pay $10 or less.” That’s Stuart Tracy’s culinary M.O. and darned if the chef isn’t making it happen at Butcher & Bee. At the upper King Street eatery, the Johnson & Wales alum has been serving the early and late, late crowd (with nighttime hours from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.) since October. And his locally sourced menu of veggie muffulettas, roast beef sandwiches, Cubans, chicken schnitzel, and MiBek Farms patty melts has earned him a loyal following.

Perhaps the most beloved of B&B’s items is the bánh mì sandwich. A culinary mashup courtesy of French colonialism in Vietnam, the dish is the “Asian nation’s answer to the New York City hotdog,” says Tracy. “I had my first bánh mì at Atlanta’s Pangea when I was 13 and I was like, ‘Wow, this is the best sandwich I’ve eaten.’”

Traditionally, a bánh mì is a baguette filled with pork pâté and a variety of herbs, pickled veggies, and fish sauce. To make one at home, you’ll need to prepare a pork meatloaf the night before. The chef suggests using local meat from either Keegan-Filion or Eden farms. In a food processor, blend the pork and spices, many of which you can find at H&L Asian Grocery. “Line your meatloaf pan with plastic wrap—I promise it won’t melt and will make for easy removal,” says Tracy. Bake and then refrigerate overnight. The next day, cut it into four slices lengthwise, brown it in some oil, then pop it into a fresh baguette. Add mayo, Tracy’s sauce (find recipe at charlestonmag.com), pickled carrots, herbs, and peanuts, and ta-da, colonial hybrid cuisine.
 

Banh Mi Meatloaf

Serves

4

Chef Stuart Tracy suggests dressing your bánh mì with basil, mint, cilantro, pickled carrots, his sauce, and Kewpie mayonnaise (a popular brand of Japanese mayo).

Ingredients 

• 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled                         
• 2 Tbs. fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 Tbs. lemongrass, diced      
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Korean chile powder
• 1 Tbs. sweet soy sauce                        
• 1 Tbs. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork

 

For the Bánh Mì Sauce:

• 1Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. fish sauce
• 1Tbs. sugar
•  1 tsp. lemon zest

Directions 

Preheat oven 350ºF. Place first nine ingredients in food processor bowl. Pulse until finely puréed. Remove from food processor and combine mixture with pork in a large bowl. Mix until sticky. Place mixture into plastic-wrap lined meatloaf pan, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until the temperature reads 155°F. Cool, then refrigerate overnight. Remove meatloaf from pan and slice lengthwise into four pieces. Reserve until ready to eat.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a small amount of canola oil to pan. When oil just begins to smoke, add four sliced meatloaf portions. Cook until brown, flop and brown the other side (about 90 seconds per side). Remove from pan, reserve on a paper towel.

Slice open baguettes, smear with mayonnaise, then add the browned meatloaf, carrots, herbs, and peanuts (and if you have any leftover, a little more sweet soy on top of everything).
 

For the Bánh Mì Sauce:

Mix all ingredients together, then serve.