Smoked Pork Belly Bánh Mì
Smoked pork belly bánh mì is sliceable low-and-slow pork belly layered into a Vietnamese baguette with quick pickles and a spicy Dragon Fire Mayo. Smoke at 200°F, finish at 250 to 275°F, then pull at 190 to 195°F internal for clean slices.
| Smoker temp | 200°F, then 250 to 275°F |
| Internal temp | 190 to 195°F for clean slices |
| Total time | 4 hours 20 minutes |
| Wood | Cherry |
| Yield | 4 sandwiches |
I built this around competition pork belly, not a quick weeknight cut. Smoke it low so it stays sliceable, then let the pickles and the Dragon Fire Mayo cut the fat. Cherry wood gives the belly a deep mahogany color that reads right against the pickled daikon.
Watch the full cook on YouTube.
Smoked Pork Belly Bánh Mì
Equipment
- Pellet smoker
- Instant-read thermometer
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 and 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.
Video
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.
Pitmaster Notes
Score the fat cap before seasoning. Not deep, just through the skin. It lets the rub penetrate and gives you better bark on the exterior. Pull the belly between 190 to 195°F if you want clean slices for the bun. At 203°F it’s softer and falls apart. Great texture but harder to present. Cherry wood is the right call here. It gives the belly a deep mahogany color that reads well against the pickled daikon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What internal temperature should smoked pork belly reach?
190 to 203°F. At that range, the collagen has broken down and the fat has rendered. Pull at the lower end if you want firm slices for presentation. The belly will hold its shape when you cut it. Wait for the higher end if you’re going for maximum tenderness and don’t mind a softer texture in the bun.
How long does it take to smoke pork belly?
At 250°F, budget 3.5 to 5 hours. Thickness is the variable. A 3-inch slab takes longer than a thin cut. And that difference matters. Cook to temperature, not time. Probe the thickest part. The thermometer doesn’t lie; the clock does.
What wood is best for smoking pork belly?
Cherry or apple. Both burn clean, both add a mild, slightly sweet smoke that works with the fat without overpowering it. On the competition circuit, cherry is the go-to for pork. Hickory works in small amounts. But go heavy on a long belly cook and you’ll know it on the back end.
What is Dragon Fire Mayo?
Dragon Fire Mayo is the spicy banh mi sauce: Kewpie mayonnaise, Sriracha, fish sauce and crunchy chili oil. It brings the heat and richness that balance the smoke and the pickles. Adjust the Sriracha to your heat level.
What bread is best for banh mi?
A real Vietnamese baguette, light and crisp with a thin shattery crust. For this cook we sourced ours from a Vietnamese bakery in Saint Paul. Quality bread is not optional, it carries the whole sandwich.
Is this better than pork belly burnt ends?
Burnt ends are cubed, sauced and sweet. This belly is smoked low so it stays sliceable, then built into a banh mi where the pickles and mayo do the balancing. Same cut, very different result.
Machete Boys BBQ is run by the 2023 American Royal World Series of Barbecue Reserve Grand Champion, based in Minneapolis. Methods honed in competition, built for your backyard. Read the full story →
If you have belly left over, it works just as well in Smoked Pork Belly Ramen. It’s one of the best uses for a properly smoked belly.
