Venison Steak and Watercress Bánh Mì
By: Adam Berkelmans
Vietnamese bánh mì are definitely in the running for my favorite sandwich of all time. They have that perfect balance of sweet and savory, soft and crunchy, meaty and herbaceous… I just can’t get enough. That’s why I make them at home quite often, and like to change up what I put on them on the regular.
This time around, I’m mixing venison steak with fresh watercress, a peppery springtime delight. If you can’t find watercress, try using arugula or mizuna instead, as they will have a similar pepperiness.
The most difficult part of these sandwiches is probably the do chua pickles – not that they’re actually hard to make! If daikon is difficult to source, you can make it with just carrots, or you could get inventive and try something like kohlrabi, or even normal red radishes.
If you happen to live near a Vietnamese community, you’ll likely be able to find the pickles for sale, along with beautiful Vietnamese baguettes, which make these sandwiches so much better. Regular sub buns or mini-baguettes will definitely do the trick.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Sandwiches:
- 4 venison round or loin steaks
- Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons lard or oil
- Black pepper
- 4 banh mi or Sub buns
- Kewpie or regular mayonnaise
- Maggi sauce (optional)
- Sriracha hot sauce
- 1 bunch watercress, large stems removed
- Vietnamese do chua pickles*
- *For the Do Chua Pickles (can be done up to a week in advance):
- 1 small daikon radish, peeled and julienned or grated
- 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned or grated
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ cup water
- 4 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 tablespoons white vinegar
Preparation:
Add the julienned radish and carrot to a glass or ceramic bowl and toss well with the salt. Let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes as you prep the rest of the ingredients for the recipe.
Drain the salted vegetables and give them a quick rinse with cold water.
Add the water to a medium pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Take off of the heat and stir in the vinegar. Pour the hot liquid over the vegetables.
Either use the pickles now, or transfer them to glass jars and put them in the fridge for up to a week.
Season the steaks generously with salt. Heat the lard or oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the steaks and sear on both sides until done to your liking (rare to medium for best results). Remove from heat, season with black pepper, and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into small, bite-sized cubes.
Warm the buns in the oven or toaster oven. Split open and slather with mayonnaise. Stack the sandwiches with fresh watercress, steak cubes, do chua pickles, sriracha, and Maggi sauce (if using). Sandwiches can be eaten as-is or warmed briefly in the oven before serving. Enjoy!
Get Cooking:
As always, Good luck this spring and remember to send any success pictures or stories from the field to [email protected] and you could be featured on our website or in our magazine. If this article or any of our articles have helped you become a better hunter or conservation steward, consider becoming a member of the Mule Deer Foundation or the Blacktail Deer Foundation or both. Click here to join: https://muledeer.org/product-category/membership/ or https://www.blacktaildeer.org/
Adam Berkelmans, also known as The Intrepid Eater, is a passionate ambassador for real and wild food and a proponent of nose to tail eating. He spends his time between Ottawa and a cozy lake house north of Kingston, Ontario. When not cooking, he can be found hunting, fishing, foraging, gardening, reading, traveling, and discovering new ways to find and eat food.