Banh Mi Tacos

Banh Mi Tacos: Tender strips of perfectly seasoned pork tenderloin are wrapped in lettuce and topped with pickled veggies for a hand-held dinner that sings with flavor. 

I have many, many friends that have gone Paleo.

Some permanently, some for a fitness challenge, and some just temporarily in order to get into better shape.

Just in case you live under a rock, the technical definition of a Paleo diet is a diet based on the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans, consisting of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, and excluding dairy, grain, and processed food.

While I am not a follower of the Paleo diet myself, I can see why so many people feel so much better following this type of meal plan–good-bye to processed foods and hello to simple foods! Now that is SOMETHING I can get behind!

And so when my friend, Megan Flynn Peterson from The Freckled Italian, asked me to review her new Paleo Cookbook, The Big 15 Paleo Cookbook, I jumped on that train.

And let me tell you people, I drooled over every single recipe. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

Like it made this carb-loving, cheese loving gal want to give it all up and go Paleo.

Okay, maybe not give it all up–but I can see that all these Paleo recipes have a perfect place to hang out in my meal repertoire. And Paleo or not, I think you will find many recipes that you will be wanting to try out for yourself.

Like these Banh Mi Tacos.

This recipe could not be more simple, but yet it is bursting with flavor. Crazy good flavor. Salty, savory, and a touch of delicate sweetness are combined with the fresh crunch of the pickled veggies for a taste that satisfies. My family LOVED these Banh Mi Tacos and have asked me to make them again–which I promised I would.

And I have a feeling they will be begging for many more of Megan’s recipes once we give them a try. Be sure to check out The Big 15 Paleo Cookbook for more inspiration.

5 from 1 vote

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Banh Mi Tacos

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• FOR THE QUICK-PICKLED VEGETABLES
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• ½ cup carrots julienned
• ½ cup cucumber julienned
• 3 or 4 radishes thinly sliced
• FOR THE TACOS
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound pork cutlets cut thinly into bite-size pieces
• 4 to 6 lettuce leaves either romaine or butter lettuce
• 2 or 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. TO MAKE THE QUICK-PICKLED VEGETABLES: In a small bowl, stir to combine the vinegar with the coconut aminos. Add the carrots, cucumber, and radishes. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. TO MAKE THE TACOS: In a medium bowl, stir to combine the honey, sesame oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Add the pork, and stir. Marinate for 10 minutes.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the pork in the marinade for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the pork strips arecooked through.
4. Set up your tacos by laying out the lettuce boats and filling them with cooked pork. Top with a generous serving of the quick-pickled vegetables, and garnish with the cilantro.

Meghan has a Shrimp variation and an Asian Pork Belly variation in her cookbook that sound heavenly as well.