Vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf

Name: Vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 4 large eggs; 250 g minced pork; 20 g dried glass noodles; 5 g dried wood-ear mushrooms; 1 small shallot, minced; 1 tbsp fish sauce; ½ tsp sugar; ¼ tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp neutral oil, for the dish

A pork-and-glass-noodle egg loaf with a golden yolk topping.

Vietnam · Firm, Tender · Easy · Researched

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Serves: 4

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Equipment

Large pot with rack and lid · 18 cm heatproof dish · Mixing bowl · Food thermometer

Ingredients

4 large eggs
250 g minced pork
20 g dried glass noodles
5 g dried wood-ear mushrooms
1 small shallot, minced
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp neutral oil, for the dish

Method

Soak and chop

Soak noodles and mushrooms separately in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain, trim tough mushroom bases, and chop both finely. Oil the heatproof dish.

Look for: No hard dried pieces remain.

Mix the filling

Separate two eggs, reserving their yolks for the topping. Mix their whites, the other two whole eggs, pork, noodles, mushrooms, shallot, fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Spread in the dish, no deeper than 4 cm.

Look for: The meat is evenly mixed with egg and noodles.

Steam through

Put on a rack above simmering water. Cover the dish loosely with foil, then cover the pot. Steam for 30–35 minutes. Check the water level and add hot water if needed.

Look for: The loaf firms from the edges toward the centre.

Check and top

Probe the centre for at least 74°C / 165°F. Beat reserved yolks and spread over the top. Remove the foil and steam for another 5 minutes until the yolk layer is fully set.

Look for: The surface is golden and no liquid yolk remains.

Rest and slice

Remove with gloves, rest for 5 minutes, and cut wedges. Serve with rice.

Look for: The slices hold together with visible noodle and mushroom pieces.

Equipment & heat

Use a pot with a rack and a close-fitting lid on any compatible hob. Maintain gentle steam, checking the water does not run dry. Reduce induction power once steam forms; keep gas flames under the pot. On electric, move the pot off the hot ring to stop cooking. Meat requires a centre-temperature check; a golden top does not show that the pork is cooked.

Nonstick: No frying pan needed. Use a dish safe for steaming.

Troubleshooting

A deep dish needs longer cooking. Keep the filling under 4 cm and check the coldest central part, away from the hot dish.

About this version

A home-style chả trứng hấp with pork, wood-ear mushrooms and glass noodles. Some versions add crab or salted egg; those are not included here.

Unless stated otherwise, use large chicken eggs, approximately 60 g in the shell, refrigerated. Timings are starting points: use the visual checkpoints and any stated temperature check.

Sources

This guide was written from the references below. Egg Atlas has not kitchen-tested it.

Illustrations by Egg Atlas. They show the method; they are not photographs of a tested result.