There’s a restaurant in town my boyfriend and I go to *frequently*, we went there when we first started dating and it’s kind of become our spot. They’ve got great food, a good atmosphere and they make a super decent old fashioned.. so there’s basically no reason not to go there.. weekly.
My go to at our go to spot is their Banh Mi, lettuce wrapped of course to suit my gluten allergic needs. The meat is so tender, yet crispy on the outside and it’s served with a great spicy citrus hot sauce and a cool basil aioli, all combined to make one of my favorite meals. Then to add to it, I get their fried brussels and they’re nothing less than perfect! So now that we’ve gotten my inspiration out of the way, let’s get to this recipe..
Out into the internet world I went, looking for a copy cat of this amazing dish and I came back with a recipe from I Heart Umami, which I tweaked a little then decided to convert for my Instant Pot for this easy, delicious crowd pleaser.
Instant Pot Banh Mi {Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole 30}
Ingredients
Pork & Marinade:
- 1 pound pork shoulder, cut into ~2″ cubes
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 large shallot
- ½ Tablespoons fresh ginger
- 1 whole lime zest and juice
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce (GF, W30 option)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos)
- 1 Tablespoons hot chili pepper sauce (W30 option)
- 1/4 cup fresh pineapple chunks
Pickled Veggies:
- 1 cup carrots, julienned
- 1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 Tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste
Serving & Garnish Options:
- Butter lettuce or crusty bread
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Hot sauce, I like this Yellowbird Habanero Citrus Hot Sauce
- Basil aioli (like this)
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Place cubed pork into large ziplock bag or airtight container. Place all marinade ingredients into blender or food processor and pulse until well combined. Pour marinade over pork and allow to rest in refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to cook place pork and marinade into Instant Pot close lid, seal and and set to manual time of 25 minutes.
- While meat is cooking combine all ingredients for pickled veggies and let rest in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- When the meat is done remove from cooking juices and us two forks to pull apart. If desired, placed pulled meat on cooking sheet and place in oven heated to ~450º just until crispy on the outside.
- To serve: Top butter lettuce or crusty bread with pork and pickled veggies. Drizzle with basil aioli, hot sauce and cilantro if desired and serve with lime wedge. Enjoy immediately.
Adapted from: I Heart Umami
