Cha Trung (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf)

Featuring ground pork, mung bean noodles, and wood ear mushrooms, Cha Trung (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf) is happy comfort food. You can steam or bake the meatloaf. The savory egg yolk topping is a signature finish and easy to do. Make sure to enjoy with rice ^_^

Wedges of baked and steamed Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf (Cha Trung) served with rice. — Cha Trung (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf) and rice! Steamed version on top, and baked version on the bottom.

There is regular meatloaf...and then there is Cha Trung aka Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf! This one is light and eggy. It's full of many different textures from the mung bean noodles to the crunch of the wood ear mushrooms.

Slice a wedge (or a square!) and eat with a big bowl of rice. No fuss, just comfy food all around.

Why This Recipe Works

Flexible.This is a flexible recipe. Feel free to use more/less noodles, mushrooms, carrots, and onions. You can also add crab or shrimp for a deluxe version.

Multiple Cooking MethodsThis meatloaf is traditionally steamed, but it can also be baked. My sister pointed out that many people either don't have a steaming set up or don't like to steam so we came up with a great baking method. It involves a few neat tips to ensure the meatloaf stays juicy and the yolk topping comes out nice and golden.

Great for groups.This recipe is good for group dinner and potlucks and is easy to prepare in advance. How could anyone not love this meatloaf recipe? It's full of flavor and still very light in texture.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Meatloaf

Ground pork
Dried mung bean noodles - Also called cellophane or bean thread noodles.
Wood ear mushrooms
Carrot
Onion
Egg whites and egg yolks - We'll separate out some of the egg yolks to use for the egg yolk topping.
Nuoc mam / fish sauce
Oyster sauce
Chicken bouillon powder
Black pepper

Ingredients for Egg Topping

Egg yolks
Nuoc mam / fish sauce
Green onion

Mixing together all the ingredients for Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf (Cha Trung). — Mixing together all the ingredients.

Step by Step Directions

Prepare the mung bean noodles. Place the noodle bundle in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit and soften for 15 minutes. Then drain well and cut the noodles into short 1-inch pieces.

Prepare the wood ear mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in a bowl (use a large bowl as mushrooms will double in size) and cover with boiling water. Let sit and soften for 15 minutes. Then drain well and slice into thin strips.

Mix, mix, mix.Place the ground pork, prepared mung bean noodles, prepared wood ear mushrooms, carrots, and onions in a bowl. Mix well. Add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, and black pepper. Mix well. Add the egg whites and egg yolks. Mix until everything is evenly combined.

The mixture for Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf (Cha Trung) poured into two round pans. — Dividing the mixture between two small dishes. You can do it one big dish, or split it up.

Pour in cooking pan.Lightly oil your cooking pan. Pour the meatloaf mixture into the pan. Use a spoon to smooth out the top so that the surface is as even as possible.

Getting an even surface is key so that we can pour on the egg yolk topping later.

Note: Square pan, round pan, pyrex bowls, heatproof eating bowls. You can use any size and shape pan you want (or even multiple small bowls). Just aim for the meatloaf to be about 2-inches high.

Egg yolk topping.Prepare the egg yolk topping by mixing together the egg yolks, fish sauce, and green onion. Set aside.

Two versions of Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf (Cha Trung) pictured in the pan it was cooked in. The steamed version is pictured at top, and the baked version is at the bottom. — Steamed version on top, baked version on the bottom.

Now, the important question! Do you want to steam or bake?

Steam.Steam for 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid and pour the egg yolk mixture on top. Place the lid back on and steam for another 3 minutes until the egg yolk topping is cooked.

Bake.Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.

Tip: Bake in a water bath (place the pan with the meatloaf inside a larger pan and add ½-inch water to the larger pan). Or place a bowl of water in the oven (on the rack below the meatloaf) to help keep the meatloaf from drying out.

Once the meatloaf is cooked, open the oven and pour the egg yolk mixture on top of the meatloaf. Turn off the oven and leave the oven door partially open for 3-5 minutes, until the egg yolk topping is cooked.

Why keep the oven door open? If you close the oven door the egg yolk topping will cloud over and you won't get that pretty bold yellow-orange finish.

Serve.Remove the finished meatloaf from the steamer or oven. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Cut into wedges (or simply spoon out servings directly from the pan) and serve with rice!

Steam Versus Bake

Both options are delicious. Steaming is traditional, but baking also produces a beautiful dish. You can see in the photos that the steamed version has a light yellow finish. The baked version has a golden finish.

Personally? I like the look of the baked version, but I prefer the taste of the steamed version. The steamed one feels lighter, more fluffy, and eggier tasting. My husband prefers the baked version. There is no right or wrong, just personal preference.

If you'd like, you can divide the meatloaf mixture between two pans. Steam one and bake the other so you can compare side by side. That's what we did for this post ^_^

Two versions of Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf (Cha Trung). The steamed version is pictured at top, and the baked version is at the bottom. Both are pictured on individual plates with rice. — Steamed version on top, baked version on the bottom.

FAQs and Tips

Wedge of baked Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf (Cha Trung) served with rice. — Baked Cha Trung (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf) and rice, ready to eat!

Cha Trung (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf) Recipe

See below and enjoy ^_^