Loco Moco

Popular Hawaiian dish made with an onion gravy. Makes 4-6 servings.

A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.

Loco moco is a popular Hawaiian dish that originated in 1949 at a restaurant in Hilo on the big island of Hawaii. It is said that it came about because a group of kids that frequented a restaurant after playing sports wanted something other than a sandwich to eat. They asked the chef for a hamburger patty on top of a bowl of rice and then smothered in gravy! The fried egg was an addition to the dish later on. One of the kids in the group had been studying Spanish at Hilo High School and the group of friends had nicknamed one of the kids "crazy" so they called it "Loco" meaning "crazy" in Spanish and then added "moco" because it rhymed, but also because moco means burger in Hawaiian. The dish has become ever so popular on all Hawaiian islands and has been seen as a menu item on the main land as well. It is a must try!

Loco Moco

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups white rice

• 6 eggs

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 tsp garlic granules or garlic powder

• 3/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 maui sweet onion, diced

• 2 Tbls butter

• 2 Tbls worcestershire sauce

• 2 Tbls tamari or soy sauce

• 2 cups beef broth

• 2 Tbls arrowroot powder

• green onion
  

Instructions:

1. Cook the rice following package instructions

2. Add butter and onions to pan and cook on medium heat until caramelized, remove from pan, set aside

3. Combine ground beef with the garlic powder, black pepper and salt

4. Form ground beef into 6 patties (to preferred thickness)

5. Cook patties in pan on stovetop, once cooked through, remove and set aside

6. Add the Worcestershire sauce, the tamari and 1 1/2 cups of the beef broth to the same pan, stir to combine deglazing the pan as you stir

7. Let simmer for about 10 minutes

8. Add the arrowroot powder to the remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth and whisk together

9. Pour the arrowroot mixture into the pan and whisk to combine

10. Add the caramelized onions to the gravy

11. Let simmer another 10 minutes

12. Season with salt and pepper to taste

13. While gravy in simmering, fry the eggs to desired doneness
    

To serve, scoop rice into a bowl, add a burger patty, top with gravy and a fried egg. Garnish with chopped green onion. Enjoy!