My Vietnamese-style Pork and Chicken Meatloaf Bánh Mì is an adaptation of Helen Goh’s Chicken and Lemongrass Meatloaf recipe, published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend, 10 September 2018.
I loved the Vietnamese flavours of Helen’s recipe but my rendition of it failed miserably. The sriracha-glazed meatloaf fell apart the moment I attempted to slice it. I’m convinced this had nothing to do with Helen’s recipe and everything to do with the moisture content of the supermarket chicken mince I’d used. I didn’t return to the recipe until I acquired—and started to pore over—J Kenji López-Alt’s celebrated tome The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science. Kenji’s dissertations on meatloaf and meatballs brought my failed chicken and lemongrass meatloaf back to mind.
My Vietnamese-style meatloaf marries the flavour profile of Helen’s recipe with Kenji’s proven meatloaf technique. I’ve also added ground pork to shore up the structure. It seems the ready availability of pork and its affordability is something the Vietnamese and rural Saskatchewan diets have quietly in common.
Kenji’s method ensures a compact, stable, and moist sliceable meatloaf that readily takes on the bold flavours of the Vietnamese flavour profile. For a couple, this pork and chicken meatloaf can be served as is one night—with a herb-based salad and the quick-pickled vegetables—and recycled into Bánh Mì at home the next.
Let me break it down for you.
Ingredients
Pork and chicken meatloaf ingredients
- 500g chicken mince
- 500g pork mince (15% fat)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 200ml milk
- 30g powdered gelatine
- 3 slices good quality white bread
- 1 large brown onion
- 1 large long red chili
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander (stalks only)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- Ground white pepper
I anticipate the inclusion of powdered gelatine has caught your eye. Gelatine has had a chequered history in the kitchen—in past years it may have been dismissed as an unnecessary additive or even a ‘cheat’s’ ingredient in savoury dishes. Its quiet renaissance as a functional food, driven largely by the collagen and gut-health wellness trend, has done a lot to rehabilitate its reputation.
Gelatine’s inclusion in this pork and chicken meatloaf recipe has nothing to do with virtue signalling a health trend. It’s here because of Kenji López-Alt, The Food Lab, pp. 527-529. Gelatine increases the capacity of the meatloaf mixture to retain moisture as it cooks, and it’s what ensures the final result is both tender and moist.
Sriracha palm sugar glaze ingredients
- 6 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 4 tablespoons palm sugar
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
Feel free to use your favourite brand of sriracha. And if you don’t regularly use palm sugar, there’s no need to buy it just for this Vietnamese-style meatloaf glaze. While maybe not an entirely authentic Vietnamese ingredient, I love its deep, slightly savoury sweetness—and I’ll be honest, every spoonful I measure for the recipe earns me one straight to my mouth.
If palm sugar isn’t in your pantry, dark brown sugar is a perfectly acceptable substitute—it won’t have quite the same depth, but it’ll do the job.
Vietnamese-style Bánh Mì ingredients
- 6 mini baguettes
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 4-6 baby cucumbers
- 4-6 red chillies
- 1 cup salad leaves
- Small bunch fresh coriander (leaves only)
- Small bunch fresh mint
- Small bunch basil
The mini baguettes are now often sold in supermarkets as Bánh Mì rolls. There is a connection between the French baguette and the Vietnamese Bánh Mì that might not be known to the average shopper. Is this the moment where all that time I spent completing a history major suddenly makes sense? Perhaps not—I digress.
From the mid-19th century until the mid-20th century, Vietnam was part of the French colonial empire. I find it remarkable how, despite the very complex history of war and geopolitics that the Vietnamese had to weather through to the end of the Vietnam War, their French colonial history remained visible in their national cuisine. I wonder how often those of us who enjoy a Bánh Mì—made at home, picked up as a takeaway, or delivered by Uber Eats—pause to appreciate the extraordinary political complexities of this humble sandwich?
And, for the quick-pickled carrots and celery:
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large celery stick
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 250ml rice wine vinegar
- 125ml water
Get organised
I’m an adherent to the French cooking principle of mise en place—everything in its place. Having your ingredients and equipment ready before you start isn’t just for professional kitchens; it’s how you keep home baking calm and consistent.
Measuring, prepping and setting everything out before the first step is the difference between cooking and chaos.
The mix for this pork and chicken meatloaf fits a 22 x 12 x 7cm non-stick loaf pan. Grease the pan with a neutral oil. I also line the long sides and bottom of the pan with a ‘sling’ of baking paper.
Vietnamese-style Bánh Mì method
Pork and chicken meatloaf method
Place 500g chicken mince and 500g pork mince in a large mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, and sprinkle over ½ teaspoon table salt.
Mix the ingredients to ensure the chicken and pork minces are well combined—I prefer to use my hands. At this stage, mixing the mince with the salt and fish sauce also helps create the structure of the finished meatloaf. Refrigerate until required.
Sprinkle 30g powdered gelatine over 200ml milk in a small bowl and leave the gelatine to bloom.
Cut the crusts off 3 slices of good quality white bread. I generally leave the bread out overnight in a cold oven to dry it out slightly—this makes it easier to break down into crumbs. Tear the bread roughly and pulse it in a personal blender or small food processor. When you’re only using three slices of bread, a large processor or blender tends not to work. If you’re having trouble getting the bread down to crumbs, just tear it up as small as you can by hand. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
Prepare the aromatics
Preparing the aromatic base for this Vietnamese-style meatloaf can be handled in the same manner as a curry paste—either by hand with a mortar and pestle, or with the aid of an electric spice grinder or powerful personal blender. I often take a hybrid approach, and that’s what I’ve done here.
The most challenging aspect of the Vietnamese flavour bomb we’re adding to the meatloaf is the lemongrass. Rather than using the mortar and pestle method, I recommend one of several time-saving alternatives. Take the two stalks of lemongrass, peel away any outer layers that don’t look pristine, and chop off the top of the stalk, leaving the white part and a little of the lightest green section. My preferred method is to chop it roughly and blitz it in a spice grinder. Alternatively, keep a little more stalk for gripping and use a Microplane to grate it—freezing the stalks prior to grating makes this even easier.
I then add the peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger to the spice grinder—approximately the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of grated ginger. After blitzing, I add the deseeded and chopped red chilli, then the washed and chopped coriander stalks. Finally, I crush 2 large garlic cloves and add them to the mixture. Set aside.
Cook the onion and aromatics
Peel and finely chop 1 large brown onion. Cook over medium heat in a small pot with a small amount of oil. Once the onion begins to soften, add the gelatine mixture and keep stirring with a rubber spatula. Cook until the gelatine mixture is reduced by half.
Add the aromatics mixture and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir through the breadcrumbs. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
Finishing the meatloaf filling
In a medium bowl, beat 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons white sugar, and about ½ teaspoon of freshly ground white pepper. Add the aromatic breadcrumb mixture to the beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
Finish the Vietnamese-style meatloaf mixture by adding the egg and breadcrumb mix to the ground meat. Taking care not to overwork the mixture, use your hands to bring the two together. You’re not aiming for a perfectly homogeneous mixture—you’ll still see some streaks of the egg and breadcrumb mix through the ground meat. Mix too vigorously or for too long and the meatloaf will turn out too dense.
Transfer the pork and chicken meatloaf mixture to the lined loaf pan, gently packing it in as you go to prevent air pockets from forming. Roughly level out the top with a spatula.
Cover with aluminium foil and create a seal by rolling and crimping the foil around the rim of the pan. If the mixture is close to the top of the pan, place a piece of baking paper between the meatloaf mix and the foil before sealing.
Refrigerate the loaf for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 165°C fan forced.
Quick pickled carrot and celery
Traditional Bánh Mì pickled vegetables are Đồ Chua—pickled daikon and carrot. I do use daikon when it’s available, but when it’s not, celery is my substitute. Both work well in this recipe.
This recipe is portioned to suit 6 Bánh Mì rolls. Feel free to make several batches—the pickled vegetables will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Peel and slice 1 large carrot, cut it in half lengthwise, then cut into strips of about 7mm. Cut similar sized strips from 1 large celery stick. Place in a medium bowl and sprinkle over ¼ cup white sugar and 1 tablespoon table salt.
Massage the sugar and salt into the vegetables by hand until dissolved.
Place the vegetables into a 500ml container with a lid. Add 250ml rice wine vinegar and 125ml water, seal the container and shake a few times.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Both the meatloaf mixture and the pickled vegetables make this Vietnamese-style Bánh Mì a great make-ahead meal.
Sriracha palm sugar glaze
Place 6 tablespoons sriracha, 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 4 tablespoons palm sugar, and 3 tablespoons light soy sauce in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside until required to baste the pork and chicken meatloaf.
Toast 4 tablespoons sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium to low heat. Keep stirring for even browning and don’t leave them unattended—they’ll go from golden to burnt before you know it. Remove from the pan the moment they turn slightly golden.
The sriracha palm sugar glaze can be made the night before and refrigerated until required. The sesame seeds can be toasted in advance and kept at room temperature in a sealed container.
Baking the meatloaf
Preheat the oven to 165°C fan forced with the rack in the centre of the oven. Place the meatloaf sealed in aluminium foil straight into the preheated oven from the fridge.
You will need a rimmed baking sheet—large enough to hold the meatloaf—and a sheet of baking paper.
After approximately 30 minutes, the pork and chicken meatloaf will be starting to set. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil. Place the rimmed baking sheet over the meatloaf pan, with the baking paper in between. Using potholders firmly grip the loaf pan and baking sheet together, and invert them. The meatloaf will now be sitting upside down on the baking paper lined baking sheet.
Continue to bake uncovered until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 60°C, about another 30 minutes.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and if an excessive amount of cooking juices have leached out, carefully pour them off while gently holding the meatloaf back with a potholder. Move the rack to the top third of the oven and turn the temperature up to 260°C fan forced.
Baste the Vietnamese-style meatloaf generously with the sriracha palm sugar glaze and return to the oven. Baste another 3 times, removing the meatloaf every 2-3 minutes. We’re aiming for a deeply coloured, lacquered finish—some charring on the edges is not only acceptable, it’s desirable.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds.
Assembling the Bánh Mì
Cut the mini baguettes from the top down, slicing almost through but leaving the base intact. Spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on both cut sides.
Slice the Vietnamese-style pork and chicken meatloaf into slices of about 1.5-2cm. Lay the meatloaf slices along the base of each roll.
Top with a few batons of the quick-pickled carrot and celery, drained of their brine. Add slices of fresh baby cucumber, a few slices of red chilli, a small handful of salad leaves, fresh coriander leaves, fresh mint, and fresh basil.
Serve immediately.
This Vietnamese-style pork and chicken meatloaf is two meals in one—at least if you’re a couple. Serve it the first night sliced thick with a herb salad and the quick-pickled carrot and celery. The second night it becomes the star of your Bánh Mì. As a single sitting it’ll feed 4 as Bánh Mì rolls. Either way, it’s a pretty good return on a single Sunday afternoon in the kitchen.
Vietnamese-style Pork and Chicken Meatloaf Bánh Mì
Equipment
- Microplane or spice grinder or personal blender (for preparing aromatics)
- 22 x 12 x 7cm non-stick loaf pan
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Instant read thermometer
- Digital kitchen scales
- Pastry brush
- 500ml sealed jar
Ingredients
Pork and chicken meatloaf:
- 500 g chicken mince
- 500 g pork mince (15% fat)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 200 ml milk
- 30 g powdered gelatine
- 3 slices good quality white bread
- 1 large brown onion
- 1 large long red chili
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander (stalks only)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- Ground white pepper
Sriracha palm sugar glaze:
- 6 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 4 tablespoons palm sugar
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
Quick pickled carrot and celery:
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large celery stick
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 250 ml rice wine vinegar
- 125 ml water
To assemble the Bánh Mì:
- 6 mini baguettes
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 4-6 baby cucumbers
- 4-6 red chillies
- 1 cup salad leaves
- Small bunch fresh coriander (leaves only)
- Small bunch fresh mint
- Small bunch basil
Instructions
Pork and chicken meatloaf:
- Combine 500g chicken mince, 500g pork mince, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon table salt in a large bowl. Mix well by hand—at this stage the salt and fish sauce begin to build the structure of the meatloaf. Refrigerate until required.
- Sprinkle 30g powdered gelatine over 200ml milk and leave to bloom.
- Remove crusts from 3 slices of good quality white bread. Tear roughly and pulse in a personal blender or small food processor until crumbed. Set aside.
Prepare the loaf pan:
- Grease a 22 x 12 x 7cm non-stick loaf pan with neutral oil and line the long sides and bottom with a baking paper 'sling'.
Prepare the aromatics:
- Peel and roughly chop the lemongrass, discarding the outer layers and the top of the stalk. Blitz in a spice grinder, or grate using a Microplane—freezing the stalks first makes grating easier.
- Add to the spice grinder: 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1 deseeded and chopped red chilli, and the washed and chopped coriander stalks. Blitz together. Crush 2 large garlic cloves and add to the mixture. Set aside.
Cook the onion and aromatics:
- Finely chop 1 large brown onion and cook over medium heat in a small pot with a little oil until softened.
- Add the bloomed gelatine mixture and stir continuously until reduced by half.
- Add the aromatics and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat, stir through the breadcrumbs, and cool to room temperature.
Finish the meatloaf filling:
- Beat 2 large eggs with 2 teaspoons white sugar and ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper. Add the cooled aromatic breadcrumb mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Add the egg and breadcrumb mixture to the ground meat. Using your hands, bring the two together without overworking—some streaks of the egg mixture through the meat is exactly right.
- Pack the meatloaf mixture into the lined pan, pressing gently to avoid air pockets. Level the top with a spatula.
- Seal tightly with aluminium foil, crimping around the rim. Place a piece of baking paper between the mixture and the foil if the mixture is close to the top of the pan.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Sriracha palm sugar glaze:
- Combine 6 tablespoons sriracha, 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 4 tablespoons palm sugar, and 3 tablespoons light soy sauce in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Toast 4 tablespoons sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium to low heat, stirring continuously. Remove the moment they turn golden—they burn quickly.
- Both the glaze and toasted sesame seeds can be prepared ahead and stored—the glaze refrigerated, the seeds at room temperature in a sealed container.
Quick pickled carrot and celery:
- Cut 1 large peeled carrot and 1 large celery stick into 7mm batons. Place in a bowl, sprinkle over ¼ cup white sugar and 1 tablespoon table salt, and massage by hand until dissolved.
- Transfer to a 500ml sealed jar, add 250ml rice wine vinegar and 125ml water, seal and shake. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
Baking the meatloaf:
- Preheat oven to 165°C fan forced, rack in the centre. Place the foil-sealed loaf pan directly from the fridge into the oven.
- After 30 minutes, remove from the oven and take off the foil. Invert the meatloaf onto a baking paper lined rimmed baking sheet. Continue to bake uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 60°C, approximately another 30 minutes.
- Pour off any excess cooking juices. Move rack to the top third of the oven and increase temperature to 260°C fan forced.
- Baste generously with the sriracha palm sugar glaze and return to the oven. Baste 3 more times, removing every 2-3 minutes. Aim for a deeply coloured, lacquered finish.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds.
Assembling the Bánh Mì:
- Cut 6 mini baguettes from the top down, leaving the base intact. Spread mayonnaise generously on both cut sides.
- Slice the meatloaf into 1.5-2cm slices and lay along the base of each roll.
- Top with drained pickled carrot and celery, fresh baby cucumber slices, red chilli, salad leaves, coriander, mint, and basil.
- Serve immediately.
