The seemingly pedestrian radish is well-traveled. First cultivated in China, radishes spread to Europe by the 15th century and traveled to America in the 1620s. They belong to the large Brassica family, which includes cabbage, broccoli, and kale, and their strong flavor comes from the same compound that gives mustard and horseradish their pungency.
Peppery-hot and juicy, raw radishes are a welcome addition to salads, crudité platters, and the like. We especially enjoy them with sweeter flavor counterpoints, as in our Radish and Carrot Slaw with Sesame and Scallions and our Southwestern Radish and Apple Salad. They work well with creamy flavors, too: Our updated version of a venerable rustic French recipe—Baguette with Radishes, Butter, and Herbs—was instantaneously devoured in the test kitchen every single time it was prepared.
For many people, a little bit of pungent raw radish goes a long way. Start cooking radishes, though, and you will find that the possibilities expand exponentially. If you’ve only had them raw, cooked radishes will come as a delicious surprise. The heat of cooking changes them completely, as their characteristic pungency disappears, to be replaced by a milder, almost turnip-like sweetness.
We like to braise them in a small amount of broth with shallots and chives, or with garlic and thyme. We also love sautéing them in a bit of butter with chili and lime, or with curry and almonds. Like most root vegetables, radishes take well to roasting, emerging from the hot oven mellowed and creamy-textured. Unlike most root vegetables, radishes roast to tenderness superfast. Our Roasted Radishes with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce uses them from tip to tail in a modern, revelatory way.
shopping and storage
Most varieties of radishes are available year-round, though their best seasons are typically spring and fall.
Try to buy radishes with their greens attached. If they are healthy and crisp, this is a sign that the radishes will be fresh and crisp. If the radishes are sold without their greens (as they often are sold in plastic bags in supermarkets), make sure they are firm and their skin is smooth and not cracked. Avoid very large radishes, which can have a woody texture.
Store radishes wrapped in paper towels in a loosely closed plastic produce bag in the refrigerator for about a week. Remove and store greens separately, wrapped in paper towels in a plastic produce bag.
radish varieties
ROUND Red is the most commonly seen color, but they also appear in shades of white, pink, and purple. The different colors are sometimes sold in a bunch and labeled as “Easter egg radishes.” Their flavor is sharp and bright and they have a juicy crunch.
FRENCH BREAKFAST These red-and-white radishes are an elongated version of regular round radishes. They are harvested primarily in the springtime and tend to have the mildest flavor of the various varieties.
WATERMELON These magical-looking radishes have a pale green skin and a bright watermelon-pink interior, with a mildly spicy-sweet flavor. They are gorgeous raw—it’s a waste to cook these, since their striking coloring will fade.
DAIKON Long and white, this is the most commonly available large radish variety (they can grow to more than a foot in length!). Daikon are more typically served cooked, but they can be eaten raw and have a mildly peppery flavor. If you find them with their greens attached, buy them, since these freshly harvested daikon will have a more mellow flavor, and the greens are edible.
BLACK Also called Spanish radishes, this winter radish has a thick, black, bumpy skin and a snow-white interior that’s drier in texture than other radish varieties, with the sharpest flavor of the various varieties. It’s a stalwart of Eastern European cooking because it’s so hardy.
WHITE ICICLE This heirloom variety is long and slender, like its namesake, and has a sinus-clearing peppery quality and slow-burning heat.
vegetable prep
Two Ways to Slice Radishes Thin
To make it easier to slice radishes thin, as for our Quick-Pickled Radishes, leave root tail attached to use as a handle while slicing; trim off when finished.
Or, try using a vegetable peeler; the sharp blade makes it easier to cut wafer-thin radish slices.
Daikon radish has a thicker skin that is best removed with a vegetable peeler before cooking or serving raw.
SAUTÉED RADISHES
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 20 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Here’s a simple introduction to the mellow, sweet flavor of cooked radishes. Heat concentrates the natural sugars in radishes while downplaying many of the compounds responsible for radishes’ pungent, peppery flavor. Here we started by cooking quartered radishes in butter over moderate heat. The butter provided substantial browning and lent subtle, nutty notes to the radishes. And since radishes contain relatively little water, within 10 minutes they were golden brown all over and perfectly tender, with a slight bite. To provide some textural variety and color, we cooked the greens at the end, so that they retained a slight crispness that complemented the heartier radish pieces. We’ve provided two variations, but feel free to try this with any number of spice mixes. If you can’t find radishes with their greens, you can substitute baby arugula or watercress, or skip step 2.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1½ pounds radishes with their greens, radishes trimmed and quartered, 8 cups greens reserved
Salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Lemon wedges
1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add radishes, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until radishes are lightly browned and crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl.
2. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add radish greens, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in radishes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.
VARIATIONS
Sautéed Radishes with Chili and Lime
Stir 1 teaspoon paprika and ½ teaspoon chili powder into radishes with garlic. Substitute lime wedges for lemon.
Sautéed Radishes with Vadouvan Curry and Almonds
We prefer the flavor of vadouvan curry here, but any variety will work.
Omit lemon wedges. Substitute 1½ teaspoons vadouvan curry for garlic. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds before serving.
ROASTED RADISHES WITH YOGURT-TAHINI SAUCE
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 30 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS While they’re great raw or in salads, radishes are a worthy candidate for roasting. Their crisp texture holds up well to high heat, yielding a tender but meaty interior. Roasting also mellows the spiciness of radishes, concentrating their natural sugars for a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. We started by roasting halved radishes cut side down in oil. These radishes were mild and slightly sweet, but also too bland for a finished dish and lacking any golden-brown color— a bit anemic. To facilitate browning and to complement the nuttiness of the radishes, we tossed them in a mixture of melted butter and white miso, then roasted them on the bottom rack of the oven. The butter produced superior browning on the cut side, while the miso added a pleasing savory quality. To make the most of our radishes, we used the mild, peppery green tops in a simple salad, pairing them both with a tangy yogurt-tahini sauce and a sprinkling of pistachios and sesame seeds. This is a simple but elegant dish, with bold and complementary flavors that bring out the unexpectedly sweeter side of radishes. If you can’t find radishes with their greens, you can substitute baby arugula or watercress.
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 4 teaspoons juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachios or almonds
1½ teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5½ teaspoons white miso (optional)
1½ teaspoons honey
2 pounds radishes with their greens, root ends of radishes trimmed, radishes halved lengthwise, 8 cups greens reserved
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Whisk yogurt, tahini, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon juice, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in bowl; set aside for serving. Combine pistachios, sesame seeds, cumin, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in small bowl; set aside for serving.
2. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Whisk melted butter; 5 teaspoons miso, if using; 1 teaspoon honey; and ¼ teaspoon salt in large bowl until smooth. Add radishes and toss to coat. Arrange radishes cut side down on prepared sheet and roast until tender and well browned on cut side, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Whisk oil; remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice; remaining ½ teaspoon miso, if using; remaining ½ teaspoon honey; ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in clean large bowl until smooth. Add radish greens and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. To serve, spread portion of yogurt-tahini sauce over bottom of individual serving plates. Top with roasted radishes and radish greens, then sprinkle with pistachio mixture.
BRAISED RADISHES
Serves 4
Total time: 20 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS When developing this speedy recipe for stovetop-braised radishes, we discovered that sautéing the radishes briefly in butter before braising helped to coax out their natural flavor. For the braising liquid, broth proved to be the best choice: Wine made the radishes taste too harsh and acidic, while water rendered them bland. The sweet oniony flavor of the chives worked well with the radishes, which themselves were surprisingly sweet when braised.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
Salt and pepper
1 pound radishes, trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large
⅓ cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add radishes and broth, cover, and cook until radishes are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
2. Uncover and continue to cook until liquid thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Stir in chives and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
VARIATION
Creamy Braised Radishes with Garlic and Thyme
Omit chives. Substitute 3 minced garlic cloves for shallot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce broth to ¼ cup and add 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme to skillet with radishes.
VEGETABLES REIMAGINED
ROASTED RADISHES WITH YOGURT-TAHINI SAUCE
We use the entire radish—greens and roots—in this elegant salad that can be either a side dish or, with some fresh crusty baguette alongside, a light meal. The mildly spicy radish greens perfectly complement the sweetness that roasting brings to the radishes, and the simple savory sauce and nutty topping lift this salad to a sophisticated plane.
1. Trim the root ends of the radishes and cut them in half lengthwise. Reserve their leaves for the salad.
2. Whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and salt and pepper for the yogurt sauce and set the bowl aside for serving. Combine the pistachios, sesame seeds, cumin, and salt for the nut-and-seed topping and set it aside for serving.
3. Toss the cut radishes in a large bowl with the flavorful mixture of butter, miso, honey, and salt.
4. Arrange the radishes cut side down on a lined baking sheet and roast on the lowest rack of the oven at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. Check the cut side to make sure they are nicely browned.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, miso, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to make the dressing. Add the radish greens and toss to coat them evenly.
6. Spread a portion of the yogurt-tahini sauce on each serving plate. Top with the roasted radishes and their greens, then sprinkle the pistachio mixture over the top.
QUICK PICKLED RADISHES
Makes 1 cup
Total time: 25 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS With their distinctive lime aroma and clean, fresh bite, quick-pickled radishes are a delicious staple in many Mexican kitchens, used to add a layer of crunch and liveliness to countless dishes. Cutting our radishes into thin slices gave us delicate, elegant pickles and exposed a generous amount of surface area to absorb the flavorful brine. Some sugar and a touch of salt were all we needed to balance the bright, aromatic acidity of the lime juice. Thin slices of shallot added a touch of sweetness and character. To enable our radish mixture to move beyond a salad-like consistency and take on true pickle-like flavor and texture, we allowed it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes—any less and the pickles seemed too raw, any longer and the vegetables became too soft. After draining, the radishes can be served immediately or held in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. Avoid pickling the radishes for longer than 1 hour; they will begin to turn limp, gray, and bitter. Choose radishes that are firm and heavy for their size.
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 large radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
1 shallot, sliced thin
Whisk lime juice, sugar, and salt in medium bowl until sugar and salt have dissolved. Stir in radishes and shallot and let sit for 15 minutes for flavors to blend (or refrigerate for up to 1 hour). Drain vegetables and serve.
VARIATIONS
Quick Spicy Pickled Radishes
Add 1 jalapeño chile, trimmed and sliced thin, to bowl with radishes.
Quick Lemon-Tarragon Pickled Radishes
Substitute 2 thinly sliced scallions for shallot and lemon juice for lime juice. Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon to drained pickles before serving.
BAGUETTE WITH RADISHES, BUTTER, AND HERBS
Serves 8 to 12
Total time: 20 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Leave it to the French to come up with one of the most indulgent, rustic-chic snacks of all time. Crusty baguette, radishes, and butter are a time-tested combination. But often the radishes play second fiddle. Here we wanted to really highlight the vegetable. We started by halving our loaf lengthwise and laying down just enough butter on top to coat both halves. Leaving the baguette whole allowed us to place more radishes on the bread, and made for an impressive presentation. (Easter egg and watermelon radishes are especially pretty.) We shingled thinly sliced radishes all over in a fish-scale pattern, ensuring that each bite was packed with radish flavor. To coax even more flavor out of this dish, we made a simple compound butter with chives and cultured butter. And to complement the pepperiness of the radishes, we topped the baguette with a parsley salad for visual contrast and welcome brightness. Of course, this snack wouldn’t be complete without a generous sprinkle of sea salt. The success of this recipe depends on high-quality ingredients, including European-style butter, fresh baguette, and in-season radishes.
10 tablespoons European-style unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 (18-inch) baguette, halved lengthwise
8 ounces radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
Flake sea salt
1. Combine butter, ¼ cup chives, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons chives, lemon juice, and oil in medium bowl. Add parsley and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Spread butter mixture over cut sides of baguette. Shingle radishes evenly over butter and top with parsley salad. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Cut baguette crosswise into 12 pieces. Serve.
SOUTHWESTERN RADISH AND APPLE SALAD
Serves 4
Total time: 25 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Peppery radishes, sweet-tart Granny Smith apples, and sharp red onion form the basis of this satisfying but light salad with plenty of crunch. It’s a lovely side dish for barbecued chicken but is also substantial enough to stand alone as a refreshing summertime meal. We added avocado and cotija cheese for creamy richness, and a generous amount of cilantro contributed a bright, grassy note. A dressing spiked with cumin and lime continued the southwestern theme, and a sprinkling of toasted pepitas before serving added a final crunchy burst of flavor. If you can’t find cotija cheese, use farmer’s cheese or a mild feta instead.
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
12 ounces radishes, trimmed, each cut into 6 wedges
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
2 avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
⅓ cup pepitas, toasted
Whisk oil, lime juice, vinegar, honey, cumin, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in large bowl until combined. Add radishes, apple, and onion and toss to coat. Gently fold in avocados, cilantro, and cotija. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with pepitas and serve.
RADISH AND CARROT SLAW WITH SESAME AND SCALLIONS
Serves 6 to 8
Total time: 30 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Raw radishes have a peppery, mustard-like flavor and crisp texture that makes them ideal for slaw-type salads. But use too many and the resulting sulfurous flavor can be a little overwhelming. Here we wanted to highlight radishes by tempering that pepperiness in a nontraditional slaw. We initially started with a mix of globe radishes, carrots, and Asian pear. Pretreating the carrots with salt and sugar softened them slightly and drew out excess moisture, and this added sugar provided enough sweetness to balance the pungent radishes. But tasters thought that the pear provided a little too much sweetness, so we substituted daikon radish for the pear. Its milder flavor and crisper texture gave the salad lift and a more tempered sweetness. A bright Dijon-based sesame vinaigrette brought plenty of bold flavor, and a handful of scallions contributed welcome savory hits of allium to the slaw.
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated
¼ cup sugar
Salt and pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pound radishes, trimmed, halved, and sliced thin
4 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
10 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin on bias
1. Toss carrots with sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in colander set over large bowl and let sit until partially wilted and reduced in volume by one-third, about 15 minutes. Press, but do not squeeze, to drain, then blot dry with paper towels.
2. Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, sesame oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in separate large bowl until combined. Add carrots, radishes, daikon radish, and scallions and toss to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste. Serve immediately.
SESAME NOODLES WITH RADISHES, CUCUMBER, AND CARROT
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 30 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Served at room temperature or chilled, sesame noodles with crunchy vegetables make an ideal light warm-weather meal. Our choice of radishes, scallions, cucumber, and carrots both bulked up the noodles and provided peppery, oniony, sweet vegetable flavors and crunchy, juicy texture. We relied on everyday pantry staples to achieve the requisite sweet, nutty, addictive flavor of authentic-tasting sesame noodles. Chunky peanut butter and toasted sesame seeds, ground together in the blender, made the perfect stand-in for hard-to-find Asian sesame paste. Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce, and brown sugar rounded out the flavors of the sauce, and thinning it with hot water achieved the best texture for coating the noodles without being gloppy. To avoid the pitfalls of most sesame noodle recipes—gummy noodles and bland, pasty sauce—we rinsed the cooked noodles to rid them of excess starch. Tossing them with sesame oil separately, before adding the sauce, also helped keep the noodles from absorbing too much sauce and becoming pasty. We like conventional chunky peanut butter here; it tends to be sweeter than natural or old-fashioned versions. If you cannot find fresh Chinese egg noodles, substitute 12 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine.
SAUCE
5 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ cup hot water
NOODLES AND VEGETABLES
1 pound fresh Chinese noodles
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
5 radishes, trimmed, halved, and sliced thin
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1. For the sauce Process all ingredients except water in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. With blender running, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce has consistency of heavy cream (you may not need all of water).
2. For the noodles and vegetables Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and drain again, leaving noodles slightly wet.
3. Transfer noodles to large bowl and toss with oil. Add radishes, scallions, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, and sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle individual portions with sesame seeds before serving.
ROASTED CHICKEN WITH RADISHES, SPINACH, AND BACON
Serves 4
Total time: 50 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS The spicy crunch of radishes and earthy softness of spinach complement chicken that has been luxuriously cooked in bacon fat in this rustic chicken-and-veg weeknight dinner. We first browned the chicken pieces in rendered bacon fat on the stovetop, and then transferred the skillet to the oven to finish cooking. Cooking the chicken in the bacon fat ensured both crisp, crackly skin and a subtle smoky flavor. After it came out of the oven, we removed the chicken from the skillet and then quickly cooked the radishes and spinach in the fat left in the skillet. To ensure crispy chicken skin, resist the urge to move the chicken while browning it in step 2.
2 slices bacon, chopped fine
3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
Salt and pepper
10 ounces radishes, trimmed and quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach
2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Cook bacon in 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate; set aside for serving.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat fat left in skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken skin side down, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken, transfer skillet to oven, and roast until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, about 15 minutes.
3. Using pot holder, remove skillet from oven. Being careful of hot skillet handle, transfer chicken skin side up to serving platter and let rest while preparing vegetables.
4. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add radishes and ½ teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach, 1 handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in reserved bacon and lemon juice. Serve chicken with vegetables and lemon wedges.
VIETNAMESE PORK BANH MI
Serves 4
Total time: 50 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling time)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Banh mi is an iconic Vietnamese street food, consisting of a soft-style Vietnamese baguette split in half and loaded with all kinds of meats and vegetables. Variations abound, but in all of them, the true star is the pickled daikon radish and carrots. We set out to develop a recipe with the perfect balance of sugar, salt, tang, and depth—and with the perfect crunch. We tried rice vinegar, but most tasters found this too sweet. For a fresher approach, we tried lime juice with a touch of sugar; we loved this flavor. A splash of fish sauce provided a savory note. We paired the pickles with lightly charred, marinated pork and decadent chicken liver pâté. A simple sriracha mayo plus plenty of cucumbers, jalapeño, and cilantro completed a rich, satisfying flavor profile. You can find pâté in the gourmet cheese section of most well-stocked supermarkets. Be sure to use a smooth-textured pâté, not a coarse country pâté. Avoid pickling the radishes and carrots for longer than 1 hour; the radishes will begin to turn limp, gray, and bitter.
PICKLES
1½ teaspoons fish sauce
1½ teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
BANH MI
1 (12-ounce) pork tenderloin, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
⅓ cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons sriracha sauce
6 ounces chicken or duck liver pâté
1 (18-inch) baguette, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 4 equal lengths, and halved lengthwise
½ English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and sliced thin
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
1. For the pickles Whisk fish sauce, sugar, lime zest and juice, and salt in medium bowl until sugar and salt have dissolved. Stir in radish and carrot and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain vegetables and set aside for serving.
2. For the banh mi Meanwhile, place pork pieces between 2 layers of plastic wrap and pound to ¼ inch thickness. Whisk fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and pepper flakes in large bowl until sugar has dissolved. Add pork and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
3. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork, reduce heat to medium, and cook until pork is well-browned and registers 140 degrees, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer pork to cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Whisk mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime zest together in small bowl. Slice pork ¼ inch thick. Spread pâté evenly over cut sides of baguette, followed by mayonnaise mixture. Layer pickled vegetables, pork, cucumber, jalapeño, and cilantro evenly over bottom halves. Top with baguette tops and serve.