Vietnamese Pork Sandwiches

This Vietnamese-style sub or hoagie starts with French bread that’s delicately crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Our version is spread with a five-spice mayonnaise and filled with pork. The crunch comes from layers of cucumber strips, carrots, chiles and cilantro. For variety, add or substitute chicken, pâté, Asian sausage, ground pork or eggs.

cup mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce 2 tablespoons soy sauce Dash sugar 4 mini French bread loaves or hoagie buns (about 4 oz. each, 7 inches long)*

strips cucumber (6x1/4 inch)

oz. thin strips deli or leftover roast pork or Asian barbecued pork 1/2 cup julienned carrots 8 strips seeded deveined jalapeño chile 12 sprigs cilantro (leaves and thin stems)

Combine mayonnaise and five-spice powder in small bowl. Combine fish sauce, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon water and sugar in another small bowl.

Slice bread horizontally without cutting all the way through. Spread about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture on inside of each loaf. Top each side with 1 cucumber slice; fill with pork. Top with carrots, chile and cilantro; drizzle lightly with fish sauce mixture.

TIP *If bread has been stored in plastic, crisp crusts by baking at 325°F. for 5 minutes. If you have a Vietnamese market nearby, it’s worth it to search out their bread.

sandwiches PER SANDWICH: 600 calories, 22 g total fat (5 g saturated fat), 31.5 g protein, 69 g carbohydrate, 55 mg cholesterol, 2120 mg sodium, 4 g fiber