Smoked Pork Belly Bánh Mì
This smoked pork belly bánh mì builds flavor the Machete Boys way — smoke first, then balance it with bright pickles, creamy heat, and fresh crunch. Sliceable pork belly layered into crisp Vietnamese baguettes with quick pickled daikon and carrots and a spicy Dragon Fire Mayo.
Ingredients
Pork Belly
- 1 full slab pork belly, split in half
- All-purpose BBQ rub (I use Real Man Meat Homestyle)
- Hardwood pellets or wood of choice (maple, cherry, oak blend recommended)
Quick Pickled Carrots & Daikon
- 2 carrots peeled and julienned
- 1 daikon radish peeled and julienned
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Dragon Fire Mayo
- ½ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp Sriracha to taste
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp crunchy chili oil
For Assembly
- 4 mini Vietnamese baguettes
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 jalapeños or Fresno chiles thinly sliced(optional)
- Fresh cilantro optional
Instructions
Smoke the Pork Belly
- Preheat smoker to 200°F (use Super Smoke if available).
- Season pork belly generously on all sides with all-purpose rub.
- Smoke at 200°F for 2 hours to build smoke flavor.
- Increase temperature to 250–275°F and continue cooking until tender but still sliceable.
- Pork should have slight resistance when probed — you do not want pulled pork texture.
- Rest before slicing into thin, even slices.
Make the Pickles
- In a saucepan, combine water, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Heat until sugar and salt fully dissolve.
- Pour hot liquid over julienned carrots and daikon.
- Cool, then refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes, longer is better).
Make the Dragon Fire Mayo
- Combine mayonnaise, Sriracha, fish sauce, and chili oil in a bowl.
- Mix until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Adjust heat level to taste.
- Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
Assemble the Sandwich
- Slice baguette lengthwise without cutting completely through.
- Spread a generous layer of Dragon Fire Mayo on one side.
- Layer in sliced smoked pork belly.
- Add pickled carrots and daikon.
- Top with cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeño or Fresno.
- Press lightly, slice, and serve.
Notes
- Cook pork belly until sliceable, not shreddable. Structure matters.
- Quality bread is critical — seek out authentic Vietnamese baguettes if possible.
- Pickles improve after a few hours in the refrigerator.
- Balance is the goal: smoke, acid, heat, crunch, richness.