Loco Moco

• servings: 4
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Hamburger Patties:

1½ lb ground beef (80-20 recommended)

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp black pepper

Gravy:

1½ cup beef stock

5 tsp cornstarch

4 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp ketchup

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

¾ cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

½ medium sized sweet onion (optional)

Cooked rice

Green onions for garnish

Directions

Mix together the ingredients for the beef patties in a large bowl. Form the patties by grabbing a handful of meat and rolling it into a ball, then press to flatten it down. Smooth the edges so there aren’t any cracks or jagged edges. Try to get them at least 1 inch thick, as they’ll shrink as they cook.

Heat a pan over medium heat and fry the patties on each side for about 3-5 minutes, or until browned on both sides and well done. You may need to cover and add some water to steam. Add a bit of oil or butter first if your pan isn’t seasoned or nonstick.

Set aside the finished patties on a rack or plate lined with paper towels to catch the excess grease.

Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan you cooked the beef in, using the leftover beef fat. Add some butter or oil as needed along with a pinch of salt, and cook over medium to medium-high heat to brown the mushrooms and turn the onions translucent. Once everything is browned nicely and you fear the fond burning, add the beef stock and scrape off the fond.

Add the soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and cornstarch. Whisk together to ensure the cornstarch doesn’t clump up. Once it’s all come together, continue to cook while stirring until the gravy has begun to shimmer and has thickened.

Fry 4 eggs just before serving.

To combine, first place beds of rice on the serving plates. Add one beef patty each, followed by a good amount of the gravy. Add one fried egg each on top and garnish with green onion. Enjoy warm.

Notes

A more contemporary Hawaiian dish that’s said to originate from a restaurant in 1949. It consists of a bed of white rice topped with a hamburger patty, covered in brown gravy, and topped with a fried egg. This recipe includes some mushrooms and onions cooked into the gravy, which is technically not traditional. It is definitely influenced by American tastes and to me feels similar to what the Japanese would call “western dishes” like Hayashi rice. Either way, this recipe is an easy, rice, and filling comfort food that you should have in your arsenal.