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banh mi browl on parchment paper with a small blue bowl of chili paste and brown authentic chop sticks

Vietnamese Rice Bowl {Banh Mi bowl}

This Vietmanese rice bowl is a delicious twist on the classic banh mi sandwich. Fluffy white rice topped with sesame carrots, spinach, pickled rash & cucumber. Featuring soy & ginger marinaded pork tenderloin, drizzled with a reduction.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Pork
  • ⅔ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 1-2 lb pork tenderloin
Pickled Vegetables
  • ⅔ cup rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tsp honey or sugar
  • 3 persian cucumbers sliced very thin
  • 6-8 radishes sliced very thin
Rice Bowl
  • ⅓ cup mayo
  • 1 tbsp sriracha
  • 2 large carrots julienned
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 green onions scallions, sliced
  • 4 tbsp sesame oil divided
  • 2 cups long grain white rice (yields 4 cups cooked)
  • sesame seeds for topping
  • chili paste optional, for topping

Method
 

Pork
  1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour into a large ziplock bag with tenderloin. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours. When it’s time to cook, place tenderloin on a plate and bring it to room temperature.
  2. Pour marinade from the ziplock back, into a small bowl (you will use this later). Heat oven to 400°. Place oven-safe pan (like a cast-iron skillet) in the oven to preheat. Once the oven is to temp, remove the pan and place it on the stovetop. Cut tenderloin in half and place both pieces in the pan and cook over medium-high heat. Brown all sides of the pork, 5-6 minutes. Place the whole pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Remove once a meat thermometer reads 140°. Place pork on a cutting board, cover it with tinfoil and let the pork rest. Wait until you are ready to build the rice bowls before slicing the pork, thin, about ¼ inch thick.
Pickled Vegetables
  1. While the pork is cooking, place the vinegar, water, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
  2. Place the cucumber and radishes in two small separate bowls. Pour the simmering vinegar mixture evenly between the two bowls. Stir each bowl to make sure the vinegar is all mixed in. Let sit, and stir bowls occasionally while you prepare the rest of the meal.
Rice Bowl
  1. Prepare your white rice, I make mine in the instapot - 2 cups of washed white rice and 2 cups of water. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes and vent for 10 minutes.
  2. In the same pan that you cooked the pork in, pour in the extra marinade and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened.
  3. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp sesame oil. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from pan and place in a bowl.
  4. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of sesame oil, and add spinach. Sauté 2 minutes until wilted. Place in a bowl and set aside.
  5. Mix mayo and sriracha together in a small bowl, add more or less sriracha to taste.
  6. Build your bowls! Place 1 cup of rice in each bowl, drizzle the rice with a little rice vinegar 1-2 tsp. Divide the carrots, spinach, radishes, and cucumbers between each bowl. Add sliced pork. Add scallions. Drizzle with sriracha mayo. Drizzle pork with the reduced marinade. Sprinkle all over with sesame seeds and enjoy! Feel free to dash a few drops of soy sauce or coconut aminos. For more heat, add a little chili paste on top.