Why is Vietnamese one of my favorite cuisines? Oh, let me count the ways. Clean flavors, fresh ingredients, incredible marinated pork and beef dishes, healthy, and cheap! Sometimes I wish I was Vietnamese just so my mom would cook homemade Vietnamese food for me…how amazing would that be? Well, I’ve shared my beef pho recipe before, one of the most popular Vietnamese dishes; now it’s time to share my lemongrass steak banh mi creation. This recipe marinates tender steak in a lemongrass marinade and is paired with sriracha aioli, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, jalapeno, and of course, a fried egg. Topping a banh mi with a fried egg may not be traditional, but fried eggs make everything just taste better.
Serves 4
1 hr, 30 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 lb sirloin
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 red Thai chili, finely chopped
- 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup daikon, julienned
- 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 4 crusty baguettes, sliced in half and toasted
- 2 jalapenos, thinly sliced
- cilantro for garnish
- 4 eggs, sunny side up
Instructions
- Cut the sirloin into 3-4 inch pieces. Combine the ingredients for the marinade. Add the beef and toss to coat. Cover and let sit at room temperature for one hour or marinade in the refrigerator up to overnight.
- Pickle the carrots and daikon. Combine rice vinegar - salt in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and pour over the carrots and daikon. Let cool.
- Mix together the sriracha and mayonnaise in a small bowl until combined. Add more sriracha if desired.
- Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill the marinated beef for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through, flipping halfway through. Transfer the steak to a plate and tent with foil. Let sit for 10 minutes. Slice the steak.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Spread the sriracha aioli on both sides of the bread. Top the bottom half with 4 ounces steak, pickled carrots and daikon, sliced jalapeno, cilantro, fried egg, and the remaining bread. Serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
My usual go-to homemade recipe for banh mi consists of five spice marinated chicken, but I wanted to change things up a bit. Lemongrass and steak just made sense so why not combine the ingredients together?
When preparing the lemongrass, remove and discard the first few outer layers. Trim the spiky top and base, then bruise the stem by lightly crushing it with a large knife, cleaver or mallet. This allows the lemongrass to release its flavor; you will able to smell lemon once it is bruised.
Marinate the steak for at least one hour or up to overnight. Grilling the meat is the prime choice for cooking the meat since it will sear and caramelize on the hot grill. However, if you do not have a grill, you can simply prepare it on the stove top or broil until the desired degree of doneness.
Pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, fresh jalapeno, spicy mayo, and a baguette are all standard ingredients found in almost every banh mi. However, there are only a few that are served with a sunny side up egg. I vote that all sandwiches are given this option! The tender, juicy steak is a slightly sweet, salty and tart while the jalapeno and spicy mayo add heat. The pickled vegetables add another layer of sweet and acidic while the fried egg brings the entire sandwich together. Hands down, my favorite banh mi that I’ve created so far.
Looking for someone to come to your house and prepare these dishes for you? It is possible! If you are in Los Angeles and looking for a private chef, please feel free to contact me. For more information, visit Private Kitchen Los Angeles.
12 thoughts on “Lemongrass Steak Banh Mi with Fried Egg”