Italian-American Banh Mi

For the pickled carrots:
Combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir. Put in carrots and leave for at room temperature for 1 hour.

For the Sriracha mayo:
Take mayo and pour in the Sriracha. Stir. Not spicy enough? Add more Sriracha. Too spicy? Don’t put much on your sandwich.

For the sandwiches (not that this really needs explaining):
Cut baguettes into proper portions. You know how much you and your friends can each eat. The same sentiment goes for all ingredients on the sandwich—you can load up on meat! Right now, you are the world’s greatest sandwich artist.

If you’re in St. Louis, La Bonne Bouchee makes a great soft baguette, but whatever bread you like will work.

Begin by layering on your meat of choice. I used Bolyard’s Meat and Provisions mortadella (thickly cut) and porchetta di testa. Any combination will work. You can even use an omelet or tofu, if you’re trying to be healthy.

Once you’re happy with the amount of meat between your buns, add cucumbers, jalapenos, carrots, and a few sprigs of cilantro.

Slather the top bun with Sriracha mayo. Put top bun on sandwich.