Slow Cooker Banh Mi-Inspired Pork Sandwiches

These are very far from traditional banh mi, but have a similar flavor-profile.  They are quick to assemble and just cook away while you're doing other things.  Great with chicken too!

Slow Cooker Banh Mi-Inspired Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

Pulled Pork

• 2 lb. pork (an expensive cut like loin, shoulder, butt, etc.)
• 1/2 cup water or stock
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (soy will be fine if you don't have fish sauce)
• 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
• 1 Tbsp. grated lemongrass (or lemongrass paste)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt & pepper, to taste

• Sandwiches

• Hoagie buns or baguette
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. Sriracha (or to taste)
• salt & pepper to taste

• Pickles & Slaw

• 1/2 bag pre-shredded slaw mix
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 English cucumber, julienned
• 4 radishes, julienned
• 1 jalapeño, julienned
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• salt & pepper to taste

Serves 4
Cook Time: 4-8 hours


Combine all pulled pork ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours (low and slow recommended.)  Roughly one hour before you are ready to eat, remove pork and shred, add shredded pork back to sow cooker for remaining hour.  Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, lemon, Sriracha, salt, and pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.   
To make pickles, combine all pickle ingredients except slaw and mayonnaise.  Take half the pickled vegetables and half the brine and combine with mayonnaise and slaw to create slaw, the remaining pickles will go on your sandwiches.
To make banh mi, spread Sriracha mix on buns, top with pulled pork and pickled vegetables; slaw is for a side dish.