From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we'll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. See the complete list of recipes at the end of this post.
This week, we're sharing a recipe for loco moco.
Loco moco is a Hawaiian dish typically consisting of white rice topped with hamburger patties, fried eggs, and gravy. Other variations use Spam, chili, bacon, teriyaki pork or chicken, shrimp, and oysters in place of ground beef.
The dish was created at a Hawaiian restaurant called the Lincoln Grill in 1949. The story goes that a group of local boys would hang out at the grill after playing football at the nearby park. Not able to afford anything, the boys requested that owner Nancy Inouye add hamburger meat and brown gravy to a bowl of rice. She charged them 25 cents and "loco moco" -- a name chosen by the boys -- was born. The fried egg was added some time later.
Today, the dish is popular all over the islands of the Pacific, largely because stick to your ribs kind of meal is incredibly cheap and it lends itself to a variety of flavors.
This recipe, from Guy Fieri, uses cremini mushrooms, beef broth and Worcestershire sauce to make a rich, beefy pan gravy to coat the rice and burger meat. We like to add a little dash of spice for flair. Of course, since this is the peftect meal for leftover rice and meat, feel free to use whatever you have in the kitchen.
Loco Moco
Ingredients serves 2 to 4 For the rice: 2 cups long grain rice 3½ cups low-sodium chicken broth For the burgers: 1 lb ground beef (80/20) 1/4 cup diced sweet yellow onion Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Canola oil
For the gravy: 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1/4 cup roughly chopped cremini mushrooms 1/4 cup diced sweet yellow onion 1½ cup low-sodium beef broth 1 tsp Worcestershire 1 tbsp cornstarch
For the topping: fried eggs (4) + optional garnishes like flat leaf parsley, diced tomato, and Sriracha or other hot sauce.
Directions
For the rice: Wash rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. In a medium saucepot over high heat, bring chicken broth to boil. Add the rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cover. Keep warm until ready for use.
For the burgers: Mix the ground beef, onions and some salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Form 4 medium patties and set aside.
Set a large cast-iron pan over high heat. Add a drizzle of canola oil and add patties. Cover pan with a lid (or a second pan) to seal in the moisture and ensure juicy patties. Cook until well browned on first side, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the lid, flip pattes, replace the lid and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium-rare. Remove the burgers and keep warm.
For the gravy: Add the butter to the pan with the beef drippings. Add mushrooms and onions and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce down for 2 to 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoons water to make a smooth paste. Slowly add into the gravy, stirring constantly until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm until ready for use.
For the eggs: Add some canola oil to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Crack in the eggs and cook sunny-side up, 3 to 4 minutes (or flip to make over-easy). Remove and keep warm.
To serve: Place the cooked rice in a bowl, place the burgers on top, then the eggs and finally the gravy. Garnish with parsley and tomato and serve with hot sauce.
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