Hawaiian Style Loco Moco

Loco Moco w/ sautéed mushrooms and onions

Question: What does Loco Moco mean and where/how did it originate?


As I searched for a good recipe to feature today I pondered several different dishes, but nothing stood out. I decided to check my FB photos and see if I could find some inspiration from there. Jackpot, it worked!!! I landed on several photos of Loco Moco's that I've made in the past. So here goes. . .

Loco Moco's have been a part of Hawaii cuisine since as long as I can remember and then some. As a kid we used to love it just because the name was kinda funny to say but it actually tasted amazing too. That's a win/win situation for parents, right? Though it may not be healthiest dish, it's definitely one of the greatest dishes ever to come from Hawaii. The only thing about the Loco Moco and it's origins in Hawaii is that no one really knows how/where it came about! Seriously, not even the internet, and the internet knows all!!! Wikipedia says that there are suspicions of it originating at either the Lincoln Grill or May's Fountain, both of which are restaurants in Hilo, Hawaii, in the 1940's. However, I've seen other documentaries that say it was originally a dish created by surfers who needed a lil carb & protein energy boost after a long day in the water. I have my own theory too.

I've been in San Jose, CA, for almost 4yrs now (not including time I spent in high school here) and I've made friends of almost every cultural background. My good friend Mike and his family are of Mexican descent, among other things, and have taught me much about Mexican cuisine. I introduced Mike to the Loco Moco a few years ago and we had a discussion that made me change my opinion of how the Loco Moco may have came about. Well, at least maybe its' name. Mike told me that Loco Moco means "crazy booger" in spanish. The traditional Loco Moco is two hamburger patties over a bed of rice and topped with two eggs over-easy and brown gravy. If you've ever had one and mixed up the egg yolk and the gravy with rice and hamburger patties, you can kinda see where the "crazy booger" term might seem relevant.

In addition to the traditional Loco Moco, there are indefinite variations that you can make. Just about any meat, rice and gravy combination will work (emphasis on ALMOST). Spam loco Moco, Fried Rice Loco Moco, Kimchi Fried Rice Loco Moco, Chicken Katsu Curry Loco Moco, Teriyaki Beef Loco Moco are just a small sample of the possibilities!! Try it out yourself and see what you can make:

Traditional Hawaiian Style Loco Moco

Ingredients:

• 2 hamburger patties (minimum, unless you on a diet)
• 2 eggs
• sticky rice (short grain or sushi rice)
• gravy (packet or homemade, whatever floats your boat)

Preparation:

1. Cook rice.
2. Make gravy.
3. Cook hamburger patties.
4. Fry eggs, over-easy.
5. Fill a bowl or plate with a generous serving of rice and place the two hamburger patties on top, side-by-side if possible (get a bigger bowl or plate if not)
6. Drown the rice and patties with gravy and top it with the two eggs.
7. Serve

Simple, right? I personally like to add sautéed mushroom and onions. I also make my gravy from scratch whenever possible. Here are some photos of Loco Moco's I've made:

 

If you're interested in making your own gravy from scratch, here is a basic brown gravy recipe:

Brown Gravy

Ingredients:

• oil or fat
• flour
• beef broth (cold or room temp)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (optional

Preparation:

1. Make a roux by heating your desired amount of oil on medium heat the adding an equal amount of oil/fat (preferably by weight).
2. Whisk the mixture until it forms a semi thick blob, similar to cake frosting.
3. Keep whisking while the mixture bubbles, making sure it doesn't bubble too rapidly.
4. Once the mixture darkens to near the same color of the beef broth, slowly whisk in the beef broth.
5. Let mixture simmer for at least 10-20 minutes so that the flour in the roux fully incorporates into the broth and prevents a grainy texture to the gravy. 

So that's that. Subscribe to my blog for more recipes =)


Peace & Poi,
Dis Hungry Hawaiian