Bahn Mi Inspired Hot Dog

Welcome to my sausage fest

This Bánh Mì-inspired hot dog, is pure sausage heaven and absolutely perfect for the summer. If you love a hot dog and you’ll use literally any excuse to fire up the BBQ (same), then you NEED this recipe in your life.

I’ve always said that potatoes are my first love, but a banging hot dog (and maybe the occasional chicken wing) comes in at a very close second. Especially one that’s loaded with tangy flavours, crunchy pickles and enough fresh herbs to make you feel like you’re being vaguely healthy. Balance, babs.

This recipe is one of those where every single bite is doing something different. You’ve got juicy sausages fresh from the BBQ, creamy pâté, sharp pickled vegetables, loads of fresh herbs and that gorgeous crusty baguette holding everything together. It’s messy, it’s packed with flavour and there’s absolutely no dignified way to eat it. Which usually means it’s going to be bloomin delicious.

Bahn mi?

Now, the traditional Vietnamese sandwich is filled to the brim with meats like pork patties, pâté, pickled veg, fresh herbs and seasoning, all tucked inside a light and crispy baguette. Mine takes all of that inspiration and gives it a little BBQ makeover.

There’s also a really interesting bit of history behind a bánh mì if you enjoy a bit of background info. Vietnam was under French colonial rule for many years, and that’s basically where the baguette comes from. The French brought bread and pâté, while Vietnamese cooks transformed those ingredients with fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, chillies and those wonderfully unique flavours. Honestly, whoever first thought to combine crusty French bread with all those fresh Vietnamese flavours deserves a standing ovation and a hug from me.

I first experienced this wonderful street food in London (sadly not Vietnam), but it completely won me over from the first bite. One day I’ll absolutely make the trip and eat approximately 47 bánh mì in one week. Strictly for research purposes, obviously.

Until then, this hot dog is a pretty decent alternative.

Any tips whilst BBQ-ing?

Whilst cooking the sausages, I like to use a herb-based brush to evenly distribute glazes, fats etc. And that’s for any recipe! Upgrade your BBQ game. Anyway, to make one yourself, simply grab some of the more woodier herbs (basically, the sturdy ones), wrap them together and get swiping across your BBQ goods. You’ll get little bits of broken down herbs transferring to the sausages, which just adds to that wonderful flavour. 

Tell me more about the pickled veg…

Again, we love simple flavours and this is tangy, crunchy and absolutely essential in this hot dog. Please don’t leave it out.

I used radishes and carrots, and even went as far as to cut the carrot slices into cute little flower shapes. But that’s just me being extra so absolutely no need to go to town with carrot shapes. Once you’ve got your sliced veg, I simply placed it in a mix of white wine vinegar, sugar and water. It adds a little contrast to the smooth pate, juicy sausage and those wonderful herbs. This hot dog truly is a thing of beauty. 

Can I make nuoc cham dipping sauce from scratch? 

Yesss, and it’s INCREDIBLE. Big shout out to Kat, my Home Economist for asking her sister-in-law to share this recipe with me. I’m obsessed, and traditionally you wouldn’t really even need this sauce with the street-food, but that’s just how much I love it. But anyway, it’s a really simple concoction of fish sauce, water, salt, sugar and chilli – that’s literally it. 

Is there a step-by-step tutorial?

Oh bab, you’re in luck. If you want to see exactly how this all comes together and prefer more of a visual aid, you can watch the full step-by-step video over on my YouTube channel. 

Will this one become a new go-to BBQ recipes in the Poppy Cooks household? I’d say probably, yes. Summer just got even better x