Loco Moco

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What’s with this, Loco Moco? Nope, I’ve never been to Hawaii – although it is on my list of place to travel some day. I grew up in a very culturally-diverse community – Jacksonville, Florida to be exact. Being a Navy brat, it seemed like I was always exposed to so many different foods, religions, customs, holidays, languages … you name it. I am actually very grateful that I was exposed to so many different kinds of people from such a young age. I never really thought anything of it, until I realized that not everyone had that same experience or exposure that I had. 

I was fortunate enough to have a really great bunch of friends in high school – and was blessed enough to get to try things from their cultures, that I never would have had at home. Loco Moco being one of those dishes! Some of my Filipino friends even had their own take on this classic Hawaiian dish!

Loco Moco is a really simple dish. Although there are probably many variations – traditionally, it consists of steamed white rice, a hamburger patty, a sunny-side up egg and lots of brown gravy! I’ve also had a Spam version of this dish – which I kinda dig too! Personally, I don’t do runny eggs, so I make sure mine is cooked all the way through by using a fried egg – but you could certainly cook your eggs how you like them!

Loco Moco

Printable recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Steamed white rice, enough for 4 servings

1 lb. lean ground beef

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 can (14-15 oz.) low-sodium beef broth

A shake or two of Worchestershire sauce

2 tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup water

4 eggs

Prepare your rice according to package directions. 

Shape the ground beef into 4 equal sized patties. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and place the patties in the pan. Let the patties sear for 4-5 minutes, then carefully flip them over and let them continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink – about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Keep warm. 

In the same skillet, add the broth. Cook over medium-high heat until hot. Stir the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the pan. Bring to a boil – constantly stirring with a whisk – and boil for 1 minute or until thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Meanwhile, prepare the eggs your favorite way. Traditionally, a sunny-side up egg is served, but I prefer a fried egg. Serve what your family likes best!

To serve, place the rice evenly between 4 plates. Top each plate with a burger patty, an egg and some of the gravy.