France and Vietnam have an association going back to the nineteenth century, so mixing their cuisines isn’t as odd as it might sound. The ingredients used here baguettes on the one hand and a Vietnamese marinade and dressing on the other work really well together, proving that sometimes cooking is all about combining the unexpected.
SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp runny honey
- 2 thin sirloin steaks, trimmed of fat, each cut into ½-inch strips
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 1½ tsp rice vinegar
- 1 baguette
- Olive oil
- ½ cucumber, seeded and julienned
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, to taste
FOR THE DRESSING:
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- Juice of ½–1 lime, to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ red chile, seeded and finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Mix the soy sauce and honey together in a bowl. Once combined, add the strips of steak and toss well. Leave to marinate in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, mix the dressing ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust the flavors as necessary, adding a little more lime juice if needed.
- Mix the grated carrot with the rice vinegar and set aside to marinate.
- Cut off the ends of the baguette and cut the loaf in half. Slice the two halves open and push down the bread inside.
- Thread the strips of steak onto skewers (if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes beforehand), reserving any leftover marinade. Heat a frying pan over high heat, add a dash of oil, and cook the skewered meat on each side for 1 minute, pouring over any reserved marinade.
- Remove the steaks from the skewers and press into the opened baguette so that any meat juices run into the bread. Drain the carrot and divide between the sandwiches. Top with the cucumber and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the dressing over the filling. Garnish with cilantro, close the sandwiches, and serve.
