kimcrossin, Author at The Toasted Table

Author: kimcrossin

March 15, 2025

Guinness Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie Every year when St. Patrick’s Day comes around it’s time for me to make Shepherd’s Pie. Shepherd’s Pie is a mixture of lamb and vegetables that cook in a flavorful gravy, then it all gets topped with mashed potatoes and bakes until the …

Mains, Winter

by kimcrossin

0 Comments

January 8, 2025

Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers These stuffed poblano peppers were inspired by a recipe for vegan enchiladas in a cookbook called WELL + GOOD. I remember the first time I made them and was blown away with the flavor, texture and how filling they were. One …

Healthy-ish, Mains, Vegetarian, Winter

by kimcrossin

January 3, 2025

Bahn Mi Tacos

These Bahn Mi Tacos came about after I made a recipe, Bahn Mi Rice Bowls with Spicy Pork and Sriracha Mayo, from the cookbook Healthyish by Lindsay Maitland Hunt. In her recipe she uses ground pork and keeps it simple and still so flavorful. I fell in love with the flavors and decided to make a taco out of them. I added a few more ingredients to season up the pork, decided to add crispy shallots as delicious addition and use kewpie mayo instead of regular mayonnaise which improves the taste so much. These are always a favorite and kept in the rotation especially when I decide to slow cook some pork shoulder.

What is Bahn Mi?

Bahn mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that is traditionally made on a baguette. The crispy baguette gets filled with a smear of mayonnaise or pate, a protein (pork, chicken, Vietnamese ham, tofu), pickled vegetables and an umami packed sauce.

What You'll Need

For the Pork

Large Skillet

Baking Sheet

1.5 lbs of Pulled Pork Shoulder or Ground Pork
Green Onions
Garlic
Soy Sauce
Fish Sauce
Rice Vinegar
White Sugar

For the Shallots

Sharp Knife + Cutting Board

Deep Skillet

4-6 Shallots
Neutral high smoke point oil (Vegetable oil, Peanut Oil, Avocado Oil)

For the Quick Pickled Carrots & Cucumbers

Julienne Peeler or Sharpe Knife + Cutting Board

Medium Bowl

2 Large Carrots
1 English Cucumber
Rice Vinegar
Fish Sauce
Neutral Oil (Avocado Oil or Vegetable Oil)
White Sugar

For the Sriracha Mayo

Small Bowl

Kewpie Mayo or Regular Mayonnaise seasoned with rice vinegar
Sriracha

Make the Shallots

Slice the Shallots – Remove the onion skin and thinly slice the shallots into rounds.
Cold Pan – Starting in a cold pan with the heat off, cover the shallots with oil.
Fry – Turn on the heat to medium-high. Start by stirring occasionally. Once you start to see some color do not turn away because they can burn quickly and become bitter! Begin to stir constantly to evenly brown. As soon as they turn golden remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with a paper towel. *Avoid allowing them to brown too much or they will become bitter.
Season with Salt – Immediately season with salt while they are still hot

Make the Quick Pickled Carrots & Cucumber

Julienne the Carrots & Cucumber

Use a julienne vegetable peeler to make your life easy! 🙂 If you are using a good old knife follow the instructions below.

For the Carrot

Peel the carrot and cut off the top and bottom.
Cut it in half to make it more manageable.
Thinly slice length wise, then thinly slice length wise again into match sticks

For the Cucumber

Cut the ends off of the cucumber then cut in half to make it more management.
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Make thin slices length wise and slice again length wise if needed.

Make the Pork

Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder

You will need 1.5 lbs of pulled pork shoulder for the recipe. I love to use a slow cooker and put it on low overnight. Make sure it is big enough to fit a bone-in pork shoulder. I usually find them sold in the store for about 7 lbs. This will provide you with about 4-6 lbs of shredded meat. Put the left overs in the freezer to use for an easy meal!

Prepare the pork in the crock pot before bed and check it in the morning! Here are some basic cooking instructions for succulent and juicy pulled pork:

Pat the meat dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
Put the pork shoulder in the crock pot.
Add a sliced onion and 3-4 whole/crushed garlic cloves.
Pour in about 2 cups of chicken broth.
Turn the crock pot on low for about 12 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 205° and easily falls apart with a fork.

Make the Pork for the Tacos

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Arrange your oven rack closest to the broiler and turn the broiler setting on.

Green Onions – Sauté the green onions in some oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened.
Garlic – Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Pork + Seasonings – Add the pork to the pan and pour in the soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Mix to combine and re-warm the pork if needed.
Transfer to a Baking Sheet – Spread the pork onto a baking sheet in an even layer.
Broil – Broil the pork for a few minutes until it starts to brown slights and char in spots.

NOTE:

If Using Ground Pork:

Add the pork and the green onions to the pan and sauté until the pork is all browned and the onions are soft.
Add the garlic and seasonings.
No need to broil!

Make the Sriracha Mayo

1/4 cup-ish Kewpie Mayo
2 tsp-ish Sriracha

Combine in a small bowl and stir together.

Assemble the Tacos

Tortillas – Toast the tortillas over medium high heat until they start to bubble up and brown in some spots. Don’t toast them for too long or else they will become tough.

Layer the toppings – This is how I like to build mine:

Sriracha Mayo
Pork
Pickled Cucumbers & Carrots
Cilantro and/or green onions
Crispy Shallots

Bahn Mi Tacos

These tacos are made with juicy and succulent pork shoulder, and are bursting with flavors and textures.

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Course: Dinner, lunch

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: Bahn Mi, Pork, Pork Shoulder, Tacos

Servings:

Equipment

1 Deep Skillet
1 Large Skillet
1 Medium Bowl
1 Small Bowl

Ingredients

Crispy Shallots

4-5 Large Shallots Sliced thinly into rounds
2 Cups Vegetable Oil or Avocado Oil or Peanut Oil

Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers

1 English Cucumber julienned
2 Large Carrots julienned
2 tsp Avocado Oil or Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Rice Vinegar
1/2 tsp Fish Sauce
1 tsp White Sugar

Pork

1.5 lbs Cooked and Shredded Pork Shoulder
1 bunch Green Onions sliced, tops and bottoms
1 Tbsp Garlic minced
3 tsp Soy Sauce
3 tsp Rice Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Fish Sauce
1 1/2 tsp White Sugar

Sriracha Mayo

1/4 cup Kewpie Mayonnaise
1-2 tsp Sriracha

To Serve the Tacos

12 Flour Tortillas street taco size
1.5 lbs Pork
3 cups Pickled Cucumber and Carrots
1.5 cups Crispy Shallots
1/4 cup Sriracha Mayo
1/4 cup Cilantro

Instructions

Make the Crispy Shallots

Starting with a cold pan and the heat off, add the sliced shallots to a deep skillet and cover with a neutral high smoke point oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil or avocado oil.
Turn the heat on to a medium-high heat and stir occasionally. Prepare a plate lined with paper towels. Once they start to change color begin to stir constantly for even browning. As soon as they turn golden brown remove with a slotted spoon onto the plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. Season with salt while hot.

Make the Quick Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers

In a medium bowl combine the julienned carrots and cucumbers along with 2 tsp avocado oil, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp fish sauce and 1 tsp white sugar. Toss to combine. Allow to marinate while preparing the rest of the meal. Return to the bowl to toss occasionally with the pickling liquid.

Make the Pork

Arrange an oven rack nearest to your broiler and turn the broiler on.
Heat a large skillet to medium and add 2 tbsp avocado oil. Sauté the green and white parts of the green onions for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Add the pork into the skillet along with 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce, 3 tsp rice vinegar, 3 tsp soy sauce and 1 1/2 tsp sugar. Toss to coat and warm the pork through.
Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and spread out evenly. Put the pork into the oven under the broil and allow to broil for a few minutes until it begins to brown and char in a few spots.

Make the Sriracha Mayo

In a small bowl mix together the kewpie mayo and sriracha. Adjust spiciness to taste adding more or less mayo to sriracha.

Make the Bahn Mi Tacos

Toast up the tortillas in a skillet with a little oil or directly over a flame, flipping once to do both sides. To keep the tortillas warm, place them in a kitchen towel. You can go a step further and place the kitchen towel inside a preheated cast iron skillet if you have one.
Layer the tortillas with some sriracha mayo, the pork, quick pickled carrots and cucumbers, crispy shallots and torn cilantro.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Featured, Mains, Sandwiches & Tacos, Spring/Summer Feature

by kimcrossin

December 19, 2024

Savory Kimchi Soup with Ginger-Soy Pork Meatballs

Savory Kimchi Soup with Ginger-Soy Pork Meatballs This Kimchi Soup with Pork Meatballs is a bold, comforting dish that combines the savory, spiced kick of kimchi with tender, flavorful pork meatballs. The broth is rich and slightly tangy, infused with garlic, ginger, and gochujang for …

Healthy-ish, Mains, Soups & Salads, Winter

by kimcrossin

December 16, 2024

Pork Tenderloin with a Cherry Glaze

Looking for an elegant yet comforting dish to ring in the New Year? This roasted pork tenderloin with cherry glaze is just the answer. Juicy, tender pork is paired with a sweet-tart glaze made from cherry juice, berry jam, balsamic vinegar, a touch of brandy …

Christmas, Featured, Mains, Winter

by kimcrossin

December 10, 2024

Croissant Quiche with Ham, Leeks & Gruyere Cheese

This holiday quiche is a showstopper that brings elegance and indulgence to your brunch table. Imagine buttery, flaky croissants forming a golden crust, cradling a luxurious filling of savory ham, tender leeks, and melty Gruyère. The rich egg custard, delicately infused with Dijon mustard and a hint of nutmeg, adds a sophisticated depth of flavor. Perfect for festive mornings or a cozy winter gathering, this quiche promises to impress your guests and elevate any occasion.

What You'll Need

Croissants – So buttery and flaky. Perfect for a pie crust. We are going to roll the croissants out until flattened and them form them into the pie plate.
- Buy fresh large croissants from your grocery store. You’ll need 6-7 for a 9 inch pie plate.
Gruyere Cheese – Nutty and creamy. A great melting cheese.
Leeks – Mild onion and garlic flavor. Only use the white and light green part.
- Make sure you clean these well as they have sand and dirt within the leaves. Cut the dark green tops off as well as the roots. Slice down the middle length wise and run under cold water making sure to clean within each leave.
Thyme – Earthy and savory, we add this herb to the sautéed leeks.
Shallot – Mild and sweet onion flavor.
Eggs – You’ll need 4 large eggs
Half and Half – Half whole milk and half heavy cream. Provides a nice silkiness to the custard creating a creamy texture.
Dijon Mustard – Pungent, tangy and a bit spicy. Adds a great depth of flavor.
Nutmeg – Warm, subtly sweet and slightly nutty. Enhances the richness in the egg and cream custard.
Ham – I use thin sliced ham off the bone from the deli but you could use whatever type you prefer or even bacon!

Prepare the Croissant Crust

1. Use a rolling pin to roll out and flatten each Croissant.
2. They should be about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Form the croissants around the pie plate. I like to rip the middle a little to help coax them around the sides. Rip off any part that is overlapping too much in one area.

4. Sprinkle lightly with gruyere cheese and put in the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts to act as a glue.

5. While it’s still warm, use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the croissants into the pie dish, to further flatten and form your crust.

Sauté the Leeks

Mix the Egg Custard

Make the Quiche

Preheat your oven to 350°
Distribute the sautéed leeks in the bottom of the pie dish
Pour in the egg custard.
Sprinkle in the chopped ham and then the gruyere cheese overtop.
Place the quiche on a sheet pan to catch any drippings.
Bake the Quiche for 35-45 minutes until the edges are set and the middle is just slightly jiggly.
Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing into.
Garnish with sliced chives.

Croissant Quiche with Ham, Leeks & Gruyere Cheese

Indulge in this holiday croissant quiche, filled with savory ham, tender leeks, and rich Gruyère cheese, all nestled in a buttery croissant crust. Perfect for festive brunches!

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 40

Course: Breakfast, brunch, lunch

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Croissant, Gruyere Cheese, Ham, Leeks, Quiche

Servings: