Vietnamese Meatball Banh Mi

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean pork, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 1/4 cup garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons nuoc mam, fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 2 ounces pork fat, minced
• 2 tablespoons roasted rice powder, see recipe below
• Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 2 large baguettes, cut into 6- to 8-inch pieces and sliced in half
• Pickled carrots and daikons
• 1 bunch of cilantro, very coarsely chopped

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir the shallots, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and pepper until evenly mixed. Put the sliced pork into a large Ziploc bag, add the marinade, close it, and turn the bag until the pork is thoroughly coated. Open it again, press out as much air as you can, then seal it back up. Refrigerate the pork for at least 1 hour, or as long as 24. Thirty minutes before you plan to shape the meatballs, move the pork to the freezer so it can firm.
2. Add the pork fat to a food processor and pulse until it becomes a paste. Add the chilled pork and process until the mixture gathers into a sticky, paste-like ball. Sprinkle in the roasted rice powder and process just until incorporated.
3. Shape the meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2" across. Slide 4 balls onto each soaked bamboo skewer.
4. Start 1 chimney full of charcoal. Once the coals are fully lit and coated in gray ash, empty them onto the charcoal grate and spread them into an even layer. Set the skewers over medium-high heat and grill the meatballs, turning as needed, until they are browned all around and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
5. Take the skewers off the grill and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
6. Build the banh mi by tucking pickled carrots and daikons into the baguette, adding the meatballs, and filling the sandwich with a handful of cilantro. Serve.