Vietnamese Steamed Meatloaf

My mom used to cook a lot for us when were growing up.  One of the things she made was this Vietnamese pork dish that resembled a meatloaf but even better.  I always looked forward to eating this with pan fried pork chops served over broken rice.  I never realized how simple it was to make this until I started making it myself.

Vietnamese Steamed Meatloaf (Cha Trung Hap)
Adapted from Wandering Chopsticks

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground pork
1 bundle bean thread vermicelli noodles
1/3 cup dried wood ear fungus
1 carrot, grated
3 large eggs (reserve 2 egg yolks and beat the remaining eggs and egg whites)
1 T fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
sugar
cilantro for garnishing

Directions:

Soak vermicelli noodles and wood ear fungus together or in separate bowls for 15 minutes in hot water until softened. Drain and roughly chop them up on cutting board.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add ground pork, vermicelli noodles, wood ear fungus, grated carrots, 1 egg and 2 egg whites, fish sauce, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar.  Mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.

Put the pork mixture into a loaf pan or heatproof bowl.  Beat the reserved egg yolks and pour it evenly over the meat mixture.

Cover and steam for 25-30 minutes on medium heat until firm and cooked through.  Remove the meatloaf from the steamer and cut into slices.  Serve on top of white rice and garnish with cilantro and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).