Name: Picnic loaf bánh mì
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 6-8
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, crushed; ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice; 3 tbsp soft light brown sugar; 3 tbsp hoisin sauce; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1½ tbsp tomato purée; 2 tsp toasted sesame oil; 450g pork tenderloin; 300g mooli (daikon), peeled; 2 carrots, peeled; 50g granulated sugar, plus 1tbsp; 275ml white vinegar; 1 (about 400g) round cob loaf; 4 tbsp mayonnaise; ½ avocado, thinly sliced; ¼ cucumber, sliced into 18 rounds; 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced; a small handful mint leaves, roughly chopped; a small handful of leaves coriander, roughly chopped; ½ tsp fish sauce

A filled cob roll with a slice cut out, sitting on a wooden table

2 cloves garlic
crushed
¼ tsp Chinese five-spice
3 tbsp soft light brown sugar
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
450g pork tenderloin
300g mooli (daikon)
peeled
2 carrots
peeled
50g granulated sugar
plus 1tbsp
275ml white vinegar
1 (about 400g) round cob loaf
4 tbsp mayonnaise
½ avocado
thinly sliced
¼ cucumber
sliced into 18 rounds
1 red chilli
deseeded and thinly sliced
a small handful mint leaves
roughly chopped
a small handful of leaves coriander
roughly chopped
½ tsp fish sauce

Method

step 1
In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients, seasoning with black pepper. Cut off any excess fat from the tenderloin, slice into 1cm-thick pieces and put in a large bowl. Pour in half the marinade, mix well with your hands to coat. Cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight. Cover and chill the remaining marinade until needed.
step 2
Meanwhile, slice the daikon and carrots into sticks (about 6cm long and ½cm wide). Put in a large bowl and sprinkle over 1 tbsp of granulated sugar and 1 tsp of salt. Briefly massage the ingredients together then leave for 15 minutes until the sugar and salt have dissolved and the vegetables are pliable enough to bend without breaking. Drain, then put the veg into two jars. Combine the remaining sugar and vinegar with 225ml of water in a jug and pour into the vegetable jars. Give the jars a brief shake and then transfer to the fridge for at least 1 hour or until needed.
step 3
Put a griddle pan over medium-high heat. Cook the pork (you will need to do this in three batches) for 1-2 minutes on each side or until cooked through and caramelised. Towards the end of the cooking time, baste the pork pieces with the left-over marinade and transfer to a plate. Once all the pork has been cooked, cover with foil and leave to cool completely.
step 4
Using a serrated knife, horizontally slice the top off the cobb loaf and set aside. Scoop out the middle of the loaf, leaving an edge of about 1cm so the shell isn’t too thin. Spread the mayonnaise around the base and sides of the loaf, and a little to the underside of the lid. Add a few slices of avocado, mash gently with a fork and season. Follow up with a layer of the pork, a few tbsps of the veg pickle, cucumber slices and a scattering of chilli and fresh herbs. Sprinkle over half the fish sauce. Repeat with the avocado (no need to mash this time), seasoning again, pork, pickle, cucumber, chilli and fresh herbs. Sprinkle over the remaining fish sauce. Replace the lid and wrap the entire loaf tightly. Transfer to the fridge and leave for a few hours, or overnight, before serving.