Vietnamese Steak Sandwich

Name: Vietnamese Steak Sandwich
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 4 teaspoons brown sugar; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain; 1 teaspoon canola oil; 6 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise; 3 12-inch baguettes, cut in half and split horizontally; 2 small carrots, shredded or cut into matchsticks; ½ small cucumber, cut into thin spears; ½ cup shredded peeled daikon radish; 3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced; ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Recipe GLPR46dfc8889412e0

Vietnamese

Main Course

40 min

294 cal

Servings: 6

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A vibrant Vietnamese banh mi-style sandwich featuring marinated grilled flank steak piled high with crisp vegetables, fresh cilantro, and a creamy mayo spread on a crusty baguette. The tender beef is seasoned with a zesty fish sauce and lime marinade, then quickly seared and combined with cool pickled vegetables for the perfect balance of flavors and textures.

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Ingredients

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

4 teaspoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

1 teaspoon canola oil

6 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

3 12-inch baguettes, cut in half and split horizontally

2 small carrots, shredded or cut into matchsticks

½ small cucumber, cut into thin spears

½ cup shredded peeled daikon radish

3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

⅓ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and freshly ground black pepper until the sugar is dissolved. This creates your marinade.
Place the thinly sliced flank steak in a large shallow dish or zip-top bag. Pour the marinade over the steak, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
While the steak marinates, shred or cut the carrots into matchsticks, cut the cucumber into thin spears, shred the daikon radish, trim and thinly slice the scallions, and coarsely chop the cilantro. Set all prepared vegetables aside.
Split the baguettes horizontally and cut each in half to create 6 sandwich portions. Lightly toast the baguettes if desired for extra crispness.
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to shimmer. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the marinated steak slices and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 145°F and the meat is browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of reduced-fat mayonnaise on the inside of each baguette half.
Divide the warm cooked steak evenly among the 6 sandwich bottoms. Top each with an equal portion of shredded carrots, cucumber spears, daikon radish, scallions, and cilantro.
Close each sandwich with its corresponding top baguette half and serve immediately while the steak is still warm.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

The sandwich is cheap and fairly available around Charlotte, but daikon radish and fish sauce require either a specialty stop or an ALDI run, and a proper baguette will likely mean detouring past a Food Lion or Harris Teeter bakery section rather than grabbing one from your usual weeknight store. Flank steak, the main cost driver, runs $7–9 per pound; the fresh vegetables and condiments keep it under $4 per serving. The forty-minute timer is honest if you buy pre-sliced carrots and cucumbers, but marinating the steak properly takes at least twenty minutes, so plan ahead. This is a same-night dish that doesn't reheat well, but it feeds six people without fussiness and is worth the little extra legwork if Vietnamese banh mi is a favorite.