Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich

Makes 4 Sandwiches:

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil, plus more as needed, divided

1 lb sirloin, top round or rib eye as thinly sliced as possible

5 shallots, thinly sliced or sub 1 onion

4 8in hoagie roils or baguette sections

8large pieces leafy green lettuce

1 portion carrot daikon pickle (below)

4 spring fresh cilantro (coriander)

1. In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the beef slices and mix well to coat each slice. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

2.Set a large frying pan or grill pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. You'll be cooking the beef in batches how many batches depends on how big your pan is.

3. Add the beef slices, laying them flat and in a single layer. Fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how thin your beef is sliced. Flip and fry the other side 30 seconds to 1 minute. The edges of the beef should be just slightly charred, but the cooking time should be kept to a minimum to avoid overcooking the meat. Pour any juices left in the pan into a small bowl. Fry additional batches of meat slices in the same way, adding a touch more oil if necessary, and reserving the pan juices.

4. Return the pan to the stovetop on high heat. Add a touch more cooking oil and when hot, add the slices shallots. Fry for 30 seconds, until just softened, mopping up any remaining pan juices and caramelized bits during the frying.

5. To assemble the sandwiches, slice the hogie roils or baguettes in half lenght wise. Brush each side of the rolls with some of the pan juices. to each sandwich, add a layer of lettuce, then add some grilled beef, Carrot Daikon Pickle, grilled shallots and then a sprig of fresh cilantro.

Carrot Daikon Pickle

1 cup carrot matchsticks

1 cup white daikon radish matchsticks

Generous pinch of salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar or white vingar

Toss the carrots and daikon with the salt, sugar and vingar. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, you can add an additional 1/4 cup vinegar to coer the vegetables, stir and store in a glass jar or plastic container for up to 1 month.