"Loco Moco"

Below is an article about a dish known as Loco Moco:



"LOCO MOCO"

Of all of the dishes created in the United States, there are a handful of them that I have never heard of until recently. One of those dishes is a staple of Hawaii called Loco Moco. I have heard of several dishes that are popular or were created in Hawaii over the years, but Loco Moco is not one of them.

There are many variations of the Loco Moco dish. However, the traditional version consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and brown gravy. Variations may include chili, bacon, ham, Spam, kalua pork, Portuguese sausage, teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken, mahi-mahi, shrimp, oysters, and other meats. And the dish is traditional served with a pasta or some variation of Asian noodles. To my surprise, I discover that Loco Moco has been featured on various shows that had once aired on the Travel Show - like Samantha Brown's "Girl Meets Hawai'i"; along with "Man v. Food" and "Man Finds Food", both hosted by celebrity Adam Richman.

The Loco Moco dish had originated at the Lincoln Grill restaurant in Hilo, Hawaii. In 1949, a group of teenagers from the local Lincoln Wreckers Sports Club had arrived at the restaurant, seeking something that differed from the usual sandwich that was also inexpensive, and could be quickly prepared. The customers asked propietors Richard and Nancy Inouye to put some rice in a bowl, a hamburger patty over the rice, and then top it with brown gravy. The Inouyes had added the egg later.

The teenagers named the dish Loco Moco after one of their members, George Okimoto, whose nickname was "Crazy". George Takahashi, who was studying Spanish at Hilo High School, suggested using Loco, which is Spanish for crazy. The teenagers also tacked on "moco" which "rhymed with loco and sounded good". Spanish-speakers would probably find the name odd, given that the two words would translate as "crazy snot" (moco is Spanish for "mucus"). The dish can now be found in a variety of restaurants all over Hilo and other parts of the Hawaiian Islands. However, the dish's location cannot be found, since it the Lincoln Grill restaurant no longer exists.

Below is a recipe for the traditional Loco Moco dish at the ChiboHawaii.com website:


Loco Moco

Ingredients

2 cups rice
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1⁄2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5 (1 1/4 ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
cooking spray
5 (1 1/4 ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
1 1⁄2 cups water
1⁄2 cup water (mixed with)
2 tablespoons flour
4 eggs
cooking spray
1⁄8 teaspoon pepper


Preparation

Step 1: Start the rice and cook as per directions on packaging

Step 2: Mix the patty ingredients together until it holds, creating 4 separate patties

Step 3: Spray a pan and fry patties until both sides are brown

Step 4: Add ½ a packet of onion soup mix and 1 and ½ cups of water

Step 5: Bring the mix to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes

Step 6: Remove the patties from the pan

Step 7: If more gravy is required, add the ½ packet of onion soup mix and 2 cups of water

Step 8: Combine two tablespoons of flour and ½ cup of water then whisk until thickened to a gravy

Step 9: Spray a pan and then cook the eggs sunny-side up

Step 10: Assemble the loco moco, first with the bottom layer of rice, then the patty and finally the egg on the top.