Jay D's Bites: Bánh Mi Burger

Burgers are one of the most versatile dishes anyone can make. From the type of protein used to the flavor profile, a burger can take on many forms. We wanted to steer away from the traditional type and do a play on a Vietnamese sandwich favorite, a Bánh Mi. We seasoned our pork patty with Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub along with a hint of ginger and green onions. For the sauces we used a cilantro yogurt and converted Jay D’s BBQ sauce into an Asian glaze then topped it with pickled carrots, cucumber and jalapeño.

Bánh Mi Burger

Serves 4

Photo: Jordan Hefler Photography

Pickling Brine:
1 cup water
1 cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 large carrot
1 cucumber
1 Jalapeno

Using a vegetable peeler, cut ribbons of carrot and cucumber. Thinly slice the jalapeños. Put carrots, cucumbers, and jalapenos in separate containers. In a saucepan combine water, rice wine vinegar and sugar over medium heat. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, pour brine into each container until vegetables are submerged. Keep covered and refrigerated overnight.

Pork patty:
1 lb ground pork
¼ cup green onion
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 Tbsp Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub
¼ cup panko

Season pork and form 4 patties using recipe above. Sear on each side until golden brown and cook for 4-6 minutes total.

Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt
½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Asian BBQ Sauce:
1 cup Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
3 oz pineapple juice
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1½ Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3½ Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp mirin
2 tsp cornstarch

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 15 min.

Top patty with BBQ sauce. Toast bun, add cilantro yogurt on both sides, and top patty with pickled vegetables.

From Paris with Love: The Tradition of Po-Boys & Bánh Mì in South Louisiana

by Sydney Blanchard

Grilled Pork bánh mì at Dang's in Baton Rouge

The po-boy can be found on just about any menu at any restaurant in South Louisiana. This Southern sandwich tops lists of Louisiana foods to try, and even President Obama had to get his paws on one when he recently traveled to Baton Rouge.

Despite the po-boy's status as Southern staple, few people know its origins.

Recently, one of our Instagram followers suggested we investigate po-boys and compare them to the Vietnamese bánh mì that have increased in popularity in the past few years.

The history, and their similarities, makes for a fascinating read.

History of the Po-Boy

Head to the blog to check out our first thoughts on @gouterrestaurant! We can't wait to try the dinner menu.

A photo posted by Jay Ducote (@biteandbooze) on Apr 5, 2016 at 9:04am PDT

The story goes that in the early 20th century, brothers Benny and Clovis Martin from Raceland, Louisiana, made their way to New Orleans and took jobs as streetcar conductors. Years later, the brothers opened a sandwich shop near the French Market where they invented a more symmetrical alternative to the French loaves they'd been using for their sandwiches, resulting in sandwiches more consistent in size. 

When New Orleans streetcar conductors went on strike in the 1920s, the Martin brothers agreed to feed the strikers for free, calling out, "Here comes another po-boy," any time a striker entered their shop. 

Thus, the sandwiches became known as po-boys.

Po-boy Bread

Sometimes, a shrimp poboy can transcend 🍤🙏🏻 That's what happened when @jayducote & @chuckp23 went to @oldetymegrocery in Lafayette recently. Read all about it at the link in our bio & listen to the embedded podcast. #ontheblog #lafayette #yummy #shrimppoboy #oldetymegrocery

A photo posted by Jay Ducote (@biteandbooze) on Mar 21, 2016 at 9:04am PDT

If you're chowing down on a po-boy at a restaurant in South Louisiana, there's a good chance the French bread you're eating came from Leidenheimer's in New Orleans. The Leidenheimer Baking Company, founded in 1896 in New Orleans by George Leidenheimer, a German immigrant, has been producing crispy New Orleans style French bread for the last hundred years. 

Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the perfect loaf of French bread acts as a vehicle for other delicious ingredients. 

Po-boy Fixins

The Darrell's Special strikes again! It may not be pretty, but it's incredibly delicious. Have you ever had this @visitlakecharles famous #poboy? #tastelouisiana #foodpics #foodcoma #foodporn

A photo posted by Jay Ducote (@biteandbooze) on Mar 5, 2016 at 2:36pm PST

There's virtually no limit to what you'll find inside a po-boy. Fried shrimp, catfish and oyster po-boys tend to be what's on most menus, but roast beef and gravy and ham and cheese po-boys are popular with locals. Hot sausage, meatballs and even French fries can make an appearance on a po-boy, and dressed they include lettuce, tomato and mayo.

History of the Bánh Mì

The bánh mì represents the marriage of French and Vietnamese culture resulting from years of French colonial rule in Vietnam. This French-style baguette loaded with Vietnamese ingredients is often referred to as a Vietnamese po-boy in South Louisiana. In the 1970s, Vietnamese immigrants flocked to the United States to escape communism, and many chose to immigrate to Louisiana due to its Catholic missionaries and hot, wet climate. Today, Louisiana boasts a large Vietnamese population, and Louisianans are enamored with the exotic flavors of Vietnamese cuisine. 

Bánh Mì Bread

Love this shot @madeyefoodie captured of our Pork Belly Banh Mi--Korean braised belly, pâté, pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro on French served with our House made Chips #countryroads #gobr

A photo posted by City Pork Deli & Charcuterie (@city_pork) on Feb 2, 2016 at 3:35pm PST

The traditional bánh mì bread recipe calls for a mixture of Asian rice flour and wheat flour that results in a single serving of bread. While softer and more moist than typical po-boy bread, the crunchy, crispy exterior resembles that of French bread.

Dong Phuong Bakery is to bánh mì as Leidenheimer Baking Company is to the po-boy. Since the early 1980s this Vietnamese bakery has been providing bánh mì bread to Vietnamese restaurants across New Orleans. 

Bánh Mì Fixins

Pho and a Banh Mi. Thanks @dangsrestaurant! #pho #vietnamese #gobr #lunch #foodporn

A photo posted by Jay Ducote (@biteandbooze) on Dec 5, 2014 at 11:17am PST

Here's where the bánh mì differs from the po-boy: generally, bánh mì include a pate spread, fatty ham and roasted pork, mayonnaise (from the French), shredded carrot and radish, cucumber, cilantro and raw jalapeño. 

Bánh mì are also typically smaller than po-boys in size, making them perfect side dishes, snacks or light meals. 

Do you have a favorite po-boy? What about a favorite bánh mì? Let us know in the comments.

The Time Jay Shipped Me Off to Oklahoma for a Week: Part I

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

The first time Jay sent me on a media trip to represent Bite and Booze, I didn’t know what to expect.

Typically, these kinds of press trips are orchestrated by convention and visitors bureaus to familiarize other travel writers and bloggers with the area in hopes that we’ll like what we see and encourage others to travel to said destination.

I had zero expectations on my first media trip to Shreveport, Louisiana. Originally, I couldn't imagine what Shreveport had to offer that was worth writing about. But during the trip, I was blown away by all the cool things to eat, drink, and do in Shreveport.

With this in mind, when Jay asked if I wanted to go on a trip to Oklahoma City and Stillwater, Oklahoma, I immediately agreed and booked my plane tickets.

Similar to Shreveport, if there’s one thing I learned about Oklahoma, it’s that it isn't what you'd expect.

After indulging in a big (literally physically large) country dinner at Toby Keith's, we enjoyed an informative water taxi ride through Bricktown at sunset before we crashed at the beautiful boutique Ambassador hotel.

Learning about how the Bricktown development came to be with my buddy Karen Dawkins. She admittedly likes me more than Jay. It's the small victories in life that keep you going.

The lovely ladies at Visit OKC had us up early to show us a different side of town where we had the chance to enjoy an authentic Guatemalan breakfast at Cafe Kacao. If you've never eaten breakfast plates piled high with chorizo, black beans, avocado, eggs, and plantains, I highly suggest reevaluating your lifestyle.

Shorty after we were seated, I realized why Tabbi and Brittany from Visit OKC had us up so early. The place stays packed.

Traditional Guatemalan Breakfast at Cafe Kacao

I know what you're thinking...

"Blair, where does a girl like you find herself on the average OKC afternoon? Surely you aren't eating the entire time."

It is impossible to eat all day long, so we took a couple of breaks to tour the American Banjo Museum, home to the largest collection of banjos in the world.

Later, we visited ACM@UCO, a highly esteemed school of music run by the manager of The Flaming Lips, zip-lined across a river much to my chagrin (I have a fear of heights), and had the opportunity to tour the Oklahoma Memorial.

My roommate encouraged me to visit the Memorial, and I'm ashamed to admit I didn't know what it was all about at first. In my defense, I was born in 1991, and my history classes in school never mentioned the bombing. So let's just blame the Louisiana public school system for that one.

The Memorial was emotional and beautiful, and I'm glad I carved out the time to visit. 

The Oklahoma Memorial

Enjoying an Oklahoma brew at Bleu Garten

After a long and exhausting day, I rushed back to the hotel to get ready for drinks at an amazing food truck park/bar, Bleu Garten, and dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant called Ludivine.

The highlight of the meal was demolishing bone marrow and doing bone marrow luge shots around the table.

Afterward, we hit up the restaurant's sister cocktail bar, R & J Lounge and Supper Club for some classic, stuck-in-time cocktails.

Bone Marrow at Ludivine

Most of what I ate in OKC lived up to my standards, but it was our last meal that piqued my interest.

Waffle Champion is everything Leslie Knope ever dreamed of. Sweet waffles, savory waffles, and gourmet sodas to boot; Waffle Champion made me hungry for more of Oklahoma City.

Smoked Duck Banh Mi Waffle packed with pickled veggies, jalapeño, and cilantro mayo

The thing I enjoy most about traveling is discovering great restaurants and bars, and Oklahoma City has plenty of them. We got the chance to try out a handful of cool establishments, but there’s still more to discover, and I can’t wait to go back. From drinking out of a red solo cup in Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar and Grill to zip lining across the Oklahoma River, to doing a luge shot of whiskey out of a bone, I did it all in OKC.