Chả Trứng Hấp Vietnamese Steamed Crab and Egg Meatloaf

My Vietnamese steamed crab and egg meatloaf is an easy dinner with sweet, delicate crab meat, ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, and cellophane noodles.

While many people shy away from crabs, I have a soft spot for those leggy crustaceans. My favorite is Dungeness crab and it’s nice to see them more affordable recently. Many San Diego Vietnamese supermarkets are selling them for $5.99 a pound which is the lowest price I’ve seen in years. The three crab dishes that we cook often are bánh canh cua (crab tapioca noodle soup), crab cellophane noodles (miến xào cua), and Vietnamese steamed crab and egg meatloaf (cua chả trứng hấp). Growing up, the steamed egg meatloaf was a dinner staple for our family. My mom incorporated crab whenever she could afford them. I love both the taste and texture of the sweet, delicate crab meat mixed with ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, and cellophane noodles.

What is Chả Trứng Hấp

Chả trứng hấp is a traditional Southern Vietnamese dish served with broken rice. Suspended in whisked egg whites, the mixed ground pork, cellophane, and wood ear mushrooms has a wonderful spongy and soft texture after steaming. The top layer has a vibrant yellow to orangey top from the egg yolks.

Ingredient Notes

• Crab: for the crab meat, I like using Dungeness crabs. A 2-pound Dungeness crab yields about 8-10 ounces of meat. Picking the meat is the most time consuming part of this recipe. You can also buy tubs of lump crabmeat at the grocery store if you don’t have time. Some Vietnamese prefer using the claw meat from blue swimmer crabs since the meat tends to be sweeter but the drawback is it takes forever to remove the meat. 
• Ground pork: I like to use ground pork butt which has a bit of fat. You can also use ground chicken.
• Cellophane noodles: also known as glass noodles and bean thread noodles, are commonly used in Asian cooking. Made from mung beans, yam, or potato starch, these cellophane noodles are quite versatile. Buy the ones made with mung beans as they hold up better during cooking and taste more chewy compared to their counterparts.
• Wood ear mushroom: is a common ingredient in Asian cooking known for its crunchy texture and ability to soak in flavors. Wood ear mushrooms are often sold dried, and before cooking with this ingredient they need to be rehydrated. Shiitake mushroom is a wonderful substitute if you don't have wood ear mushrooms.

How to Make the Meatloaf

• Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites
• Beat egg whites in large bowl until bubbly but still liquid.
• Whisk in fish sauce, sugar, and pepper.
• Add in crab meat, ground pork, cellophane noodles, wood ear mushrooms, shallot, and scallion. Mix well.
•  Spoon in pork mixture and press down lightly on the mixture to level it.

How Long to Steam Meatloaf

Transfer the loaf pan to steamer and steam covered for 25 minutes over medium-high heat. Beat the egg yolks lightly. Open lid and pour egg yolks on top of loaf. Steam the crab and egg meatloaf with lid off for 5 minutes. Remove it from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

What Other Pans to Use for Steaming

If you don't own a loaf pan, use a round ceramic, Pyrex, or heat resistant container. The cooking time might vary slightly by a few minutes depending on what you use.

What to Serve Meatloaf With

I love eating the crab and egg meatloaf with rice, sliced cucumber, and cherry tomatoes. You can also serve it with your favorite vegetables.

How to Store Meatloaf

Store the crab and egg meatloaf covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. Rewarm it in the microwave before serving.

For more Vietnamese dinner inspiration:

• Vietnamese braised pork and eggs in coconut caramel sauce
• Vietnamese shaking beef
• Vietnamese pork stuffed bitter melon soup
• Vietnamese tamarind prawns