This is one of those recipes that came to me out of thin air. There’s no background story or even a craving that prompted it. I’ve never even had any meatball that tasted like this before. Before I entered the kitchen the day I made them, I didn’t even have a full idea of what I was creating. This was a gut instinct type recipe and sometimes trusting your gut is all it takes to create magic.

If you follow me enough, you know I make a lot of foods using Asian ingredients. I don’t have much knowledge on Asian cuisine or its many flavor profiles. I’m no expert in any way. For all intents and purposes, what I create is definitely swinging heavily on the Americanized side of the fence. However, I do attempt to capture the complexity of the culture’s dishes.

I truly respect how the dishes can capture sweet, sour, spicy, fresh, bright, herbaceous and the beautiful umami flavor so harmoniously. It’s a pleasurable rollercoaster of flavor. So, when I went to create these meatballs, that’s what was on my mind.

Before we go any further into the recipe, here are a few notes:

My first attempt at this recipe, I used sourdough bread. The next go around, I used regular white bread. Basically, what I’m saying is, the bread type doesn’t matter much, just make sure it’s been soaked in milk first, before adding to the meatball mixture.
Speaking of bread, when adding the panko breadcrumbs, start with one cup. If the mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs at increments of 1/4 cup until you achieve the desired texture. The mixture should be soft yet able to hold its shape once formed into a ball, but shouldn’t be too firm or crumbly. If that happens, add more moisture in the form of milk; a tsp at a time.
Before you ask, I don’t know the science behind using eggs plus soaked bread, it’s something I’ve seen my mom do when making meatloaf and I apply that same method to my meatballs which works every time without fail. I’m sure you can skip one or the other, but I can’t guarantee the same texture results. However, like any of my recipes, please tweak them as you see fit. I’m here to provide a blueprint. The rest is up to you to build it how you like.
Nose test: Since you’re working with raw meat, you won’t be able to taste it prior to cooking. However, I found that if you can really smell the seasonings, the mixture is seasoned enough. If you’re still in doubt, take a small piece and cook it to check for balance and salt.
Pro tip: Lightly oil your hands with cooking oil before forming the meatballs, so that the mixture doesn’t stick to them.
If there’s not enough sauce, make more. If you don’t like a lot of sauce, make less. The meatballs should have more than enough flavor in their own. The sauce is the icing on top that takes them from good to a show stopper.
The pickled daikon and carrots can be made and refrigerated a few days prior to creating the banh mi. Like all pickled things, the flavors develop as it sits which means a more flavorful sandwich.
Lastly, I would like to note if you are having trouble finding any of these ingredients, before you decide to order anything online, please use your resources aka google to find your nearest Asian market. If you happen to live in a country that doesn’t have one near you, I won’t blame you for buying online. However, I will always encourage anyone to explore the community around them before turning to digital markets.

Sezchuan Meatball Banh Mi Sliders

Yields: 23 Meatballs/Sliders

Prep Time: 20 minutes |Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Meatball Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs
1 slice white bread (cubed)
1/4 cup milk
2 tsps fresh parsley (chopped)
1-2 sprigs green onion (chopped)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 - 1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp sesame oil
a few dashes maggi seasoning
1-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
salt & pepper

Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup House of Tsang szechuan spicy sauce
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
2 tsp mirin
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp chili garlic sauce

Pickled Vegetable Ingredients

1 medium daikon (peeled & julienned)
2-3 carrots (peeled & julienned)
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp granulated sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water

Other Ingredients

5 small french rolls
cucumber (cut into thin rounds)
cilantro
thinly sliced jalapeno
mayonnaise

Special Tools

32 oz mason jar with air tight lid
wax paper
baking sheet
bread knife
toothpicks or sandwich skewers

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Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the daikon and carrots with a tsp or two of salt and sugar. Give the vegetable a gentle massage to begin to soften them. Once they can bend without breaking, rinse and drain them, then place the vegetables into the mason jar.
To the same bowl, combine the water, vinegar and sugar. Mix until the sugar has dissolved and then pour over the vegetables in the mason jar. Place jar into the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the banh mi.
Next, in a small bowl, soak the white bread with the milk. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients together including the soaked bread.
Next, form the meat mixture into golf ball sized balls and place them on a wax paper lined baking sheet.
In a nonstick skillet, over medium high heat, sear the meatballs 2 minutes per side. Then, add the sauce ingredients and lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stirring occasionally until fully cooked.
While the meatballs are simmering, using a bread knife, cut the french rolls in half lengthwise. Slather both halves with mayonnaise, then add the toppings to only one half (cilantro, pickled vegetables and jalapeno). On the other half, add the meatballs. Four meatballs should fit in one small french roll.
Combine both halves of the sandwich, add a toothpick to hold the meatball in place, then slice the bread crosswise to form the slider.
Enjoy!

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