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Ahh, are you confused??

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

Yeah, so sorry! I just could not figure out a non confusing title for the recipe. It happens when you have killer fusion food (general term for the combination of various forms of cuisine) like this.

It’s basically three recipes all wrapped into one, but made better with new additions and flavors. And it’s basically the BEST sandwich ever. EVER.

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

It has texture, color and so much flavor. Now put all three of those elements together and you have one incredible Vietnamese, Thai and French fusion sandwich.

You probably can’t tell (or maybe you can by my forcefulness here?), but my excitement for this sandwich on a scale of 1-10 is probably at about an 18 right now. So much love for this recipe…and um, a lot of it is due to the colors…and that egg.

When in doubt, add an egg… never fails.

Plus, eggs are sometimes common on Banh Mi sandwiches, so I went with it.

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

Ok, so here’s the deal, this sandwich was inspired by The Pig and The Lady in Hawaii. They have a sandwich on their menu called the Pho French Dip Banh Mi. Sadly, I have never been to Hawaii, but as I was reading about this sandwich, I knew I had to make my own version. I am sure their sandwich is WAY awesome, and if I ever make it to Hawaii I will be sure to try it, but for now, I am loving this sandwich.

While this sandwich may sound complicated, it’s actually pretty simple and easy. It is the perfect mix of winter, spring and summer. It’s semi cozy because of the slow cooked short rips and the piping hot pho broth, but it’s also crazy colorful and fresh, thanks to the chimichurri and all those classic Banh Mi toppings.

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

See, the perfect mix of everything and perfect for making right this second.

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

Here’s how this short rib pho french dip banh mi goes down. The short ribs get slow cooked in a simple pho broth – just a handful of ingredients (think beef broth, onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, mushrooms and fish sauce), nothing too fancy except maybe the star anise. If you don’t have star anise, you can find it at Whole Foods and most grocery stores, or I suppose you could leave it out, but I wouldn’t.

So once the ribs are cooked, you remove them from the pho broth, strain the broth and then add a few more ingredients and well, that’s pretty much it. You have your juicy short ribs for the sandwich and your pho broth for dipping. Eat it just like you would dip a french dip. Can you say awesome?!?

And then there is the Thai Basil Chimichurri. So simple and easy, but it adds so much fresh flavor. I like to make this while the ribs are cooking so it’s all ready to go when the ribs are done, and it doesn’t take longer than ten minutes to make.

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

ASSEMBLY. You must have a delicious french baguette, swiss cheese (YES), pickled veggies, mung bean sprouts (or just sprouts), fried eggs (a big must for me) and limes. Oh, and of course the chimichurri and pho broth.

Then you’re good to go.

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

The sandwiches take a little trip into the oven to melt the cheese. Then just add the fresh toppings, top it all off with the fried egg, break that egg yolk, put the bun back on and start dipping that crusty sandwich in the amazing slow cooked steaming pho broth. <– It’s really good and it’ll also warm you right up.

Wow, I’m getting excited just sitting here typing about it. It’s that good.

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

But really, I just have to say that dipping these sandwiches into pho broth is DELICIOUS. Like if you thought a french dip was good wait until you try these. These are better. So much better.

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

Vietnamese Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 4 Sandwiches
Calories Per Serving: 1709 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Short Ribs

  • 5 pounds bone in short ribs
  • 1/2 of a small onion
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled, 1
  • 4 cups beef broth divided
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick 4
  • 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (may use soy sauce but fish sauce is best)
  • 2 green onions chopped

Thai Basil Chimichurri

  • 1/4 cup each red wine vinegar + balsamic vinegar*
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 shallot chopped
  • 1 fresno chile seeded + chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh thai basil may sub regular basil
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

To assemble

  • 1 in long french baguette cut fourths, halved + toasted, use your favorite gluten free loaf if needed)
  • 4 slices swiss cheese
  • mung bean sprouts sliced limes and pickled carrots + jalapenos
  • 4 fried eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Heat a large heavy bottom dutch oven over medium high-heat. Add the ribs to the skillet and sprinkle with salt + pepper. Sear the ribs on all sides for about 1 minute per side.
  • To the pot, add the onion, garlic, ginger, 3 cups beef broth, star anise and cinnamon. Cover and place in the oven, cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat shreds easily. Check once or twice while the ribs are cooking to make sure there is enough liquid. If needed, add 1 1/2 cups of water to keep the ribs in liquid about 1/3 a way up the pot.
  • Once the ribs are cooked, remove them from the broth and place on a plate to cool slightly. Carefully strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and then place back in the pot. Add the remaining beef broth and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water depending on how much water you added during cooking. You want a total of at least 2 1/2 to 3 cups broth. Add the shiitake mushrooms and bring to a boil, cook five minutes. Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce and green onions. Keep warm over low heat if needed. Shred the meat.
  • To assemble, spread the thai basil chimichurri (recipe below) along the bottom of each baguette and then stuff with meat. Top with a few slices of swiss cheese. Place on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Remove and open the sandwiches back up. Top with mung bean sprouts, pickled jalapenos + carrots and a fried egg. Ladle the pho broth into small bowls and serve along side the sammies for dipping. Serve with extra chimichurri.
  • To make the, chimichurri (I make mine while the ribs are cooking), combine red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic, shallot, and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in thai basil and cilantro. Using a fork, whisk in oil. Taste and season with salt if needed. Store in the fridge until ready to serve or up to one week.

Notes

*If needed, you may use another 1/2 cup red wine vinegar instead of using any balsamic vinegar. **To make these in the Crockpot. Add the ribs, onion, garlic, ginger, 3 cups beef broth, star anise and cinnamon. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours or until the meat shreds easily. Check once or twice while the ribs are cooking to make sure there is enough liquid. If needed, add 1 1/2 cup of water to keep the ribs in liquid about 1/3 a way up the bowl. Follow the remainder of the recipe as directed above. ***Inspired by The Pig and The Lady in Hawaii.
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Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri | halfbakedharvest.com @ hbharvest

So much deliciousness right there, I cannot even stand it!

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Comments

  1. This recipe was so insanely amazing!!!! I was craving a French dip sandwich and found this gem to make all my dreams come true! I did a use a 4lb chuck roast instead, and it was plenty of extra meat. I’m thinking I could have used a little less chuck. Other than that, I’m doing this one again! My man said it was the best sandwich he has ever had, and I agree with him!

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe was so delicious!!!! I did a 4lb roast instead and it was plenty of extra meat. I probably could have got away with 3lb of meat, but we at all the extra no problem with the extra broth. My man said it was the best sandwich he has ever had! I agree with him too!

  3. 5 stars
    Wowwww!!!! My biggest complaint is once again if someone asks me my favorite HBH recipe, I’m torn between answers! … but I might have a new fav! This was incredible. Omg between the au jus and the chimichurri, it was bursting with flavor. Everyone needs to make this!

    1. Hi Lauren,
      Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xTxT

    1. Hey Caryn,
      I do not, but you certainly could! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  4. My husband loves Banh Mis, so this is going on my list of recipes to make soon! I dont have a dutch oven but wonder if a slow cooker would do the job? Or should I just sear the meat and slide it into an oven safe casserole dish that is deep enough? Thank you!

    1. Hey Morgan,
      I would sear and then transfer to an oven safe baking dish. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    Holy smokes! I’ve kept this recipe and finally made it last night. It exceeded expectations — so amazing and crazy and full-flavored. It was just right for last night and it will be even better again in the fall when it’s chilly outside. The only thing I did differently was to cook the meat the day before, chill the broth overnight so I could pull off the cold fat sitting on top and reheat the next day — deelish. Thank you for this recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    Made this recipe this weekend and hot DAMN is it amazing! Honestly, it is one of the best things we have ever made. The combination of flavors is truly something special! A couple notes about our preparation: we wanted to eat these for breakfast Sunday morning, so we started our prep on Saturday. We cooked our meat in the crock pot per the directions (high at 4 hours) and that worked out great! Didn’t need to add any extra liquid. The pho dip was pretty fatty, but the benefit of prepping this the day before was that it stayed in the fridge until the next morning — meaning all the fat solidified at the top, and we just broke it off and threw it away! It reheated beautifully on the stove the next morning and the flavor was perfect. We also swapped out a few things — used all balsamic rather than red wine vinegar, which still made the chimichurri turn out great, and provolone rather than swiss, which was a very neutral addition. I’m sure the swiss would add great flavor, I just personally am not a fan! I think we prepared much more meat than we’ll end up needing for the sandwiches — we couldn’t even get 4oz of meat to sit on on the sandwiches. Not that leftovers are bad, but I think we’d prepare less next time. Conversely, a wider baguette could have also helped with this. Bottom line, though — this recipe is literally an explosion of all the best flavors and it is everything I didn’t know my life was missing.

    1. Hi McKenna! WOW this was so great to read! Thank you for trying this recipe, I am so glad it turned out so well for you!! xTieghan

  7. Hi This sounds so good but I don’t have a dutch oven. If I use my slow cooker, do you know the setting and cook time? Thanks! Love the site!! Use it constantly!

    1. I would cook on love for 6-7 hours. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂