Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Meatloaf Banh Mi

I know it seems like a lot, but trust me, it’s not. The meatloaf, as I have used it here in sandwiches, was also used as a riff on Dan Dan noodles for leftovers a couple of days later, and trust me that one was a hit as well. Sometimes I just love the leftovers, and other times not so much.

I make this a day ahead of time as I like to let the pickling work the carrots and daikon overnight, as well as letting the chicken take on all of those awesome flavors from the marinade. Your call, but overnight works really well.

Start by making the pickled carrots and daikon. Set vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a pot and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and let the salt and sugar dissolve. Once cooled, add shredded carrots and daikon to a Mason jar or sealable bowl, and pour in the liquid. Cover, shake, and place in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Next, you can either grind your own chicken, which I did, or use ground chicken. Whatever you choose, add the mixture to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, add the bread and top with milk. This is your panade, the secret to moist loaves of meat. Thank me later.

Using a blender or food processor, break down that lemongrass. It’s fibrous so you want to break it down into as much of a paste as you can. This may take a few minutes. Add lemongrass, cilantro, garlic, sugar, shallot, ginger, and onion to a food processor. Pulse and continue to pulse or blend until you have a smoother paste. Nothing too chunky. Scrape the mixture into the bowl of chicken, then add fish sauce, soy sauce, eggs, and bread and milk mixture. Season with pepper. Get your hands in there and get mixing, much like you would do for meatballs or meatloaf.

Form this in a bread pan. Let marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cover pan with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Get banh mi ingredients ready. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil and swirl it around.

Cut one slice of the meatloaf and place it into the hot skillet. The goal is to get a nice sear on the loaf. Meanwhile, lightly toast bread.

Lather mayonnaise on both top and bottom slices of bread, about 1/4 cup for each sandwich, or as desired. Lay on the meatloaf. If it crumbles, which it may, it’s okay.

Add jalapenos to your liking, cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon, and cilantro. Fold everything in, tuck it in like a baby, open wide, and get to town.

This meatloaf makes about 8 to 10 sandwiches, depending on how large the bread. I used the half for sandwiches and the other half as part of a leftover Dan Dan style noodle. However you slice it, it will be sure to please.