Papa's Pepper Loco Moco
(Courtesy of Spencer from @spencerthecook from Instagram ... )
Of the many blessings in my life my beautiful daughter is one of the greatest. She is 21 now (how did that freaking happen??), has Down Syndrome and is a self proclaimed foodie! There is nothing she loves more than finding an interesting recipe and having me make it for her. Truth be told, I think I love that she finds stuff for me to create for her even more than she does! That's how I was introduced to Loco Moco, by my princess daughter, Tori, and I'm glad she did! It's such a savory, hearty delicious comfort food that has become a quick favorite in our house. Try it one time and I think you will agree!
For the hamburger:
2lb. 80/20 ground beef
3T Lizano Costa Rica Salsa (can substitute 2T Worcestershire sauce)
1T Fresh ground black pepper
1t Kosher salt
1/2t Granulated garlic
For the gravy:
4C Beef broth
1T Worcestershire sauce
2T Soy sauce
1T Tomato paste
1t Knorr beef bouillon powder
2t Papa's Pepper premium spice blend
5T Butter, separated into 5 tabs of butter
5T Cornstarch
2C Sliced mushrooms (Optional)
1/2 Sweet onion, diced (Optional)
1T Kosher salt (with mushrooms)
4-6C Cooked rice
4-6 Eggs, one egg per serving
Scallions for garnish
To prepare ground beef:
Combine all ground beef ingredients and gently mix with your hands. Form into 6 patties and cook until just cooked through or and internal temperature of 145° has been reached. I like to grill mine because I like the charred, smokey flavor in this dish.
For the gravy:
(If not using mushrooms and onions go straight to adding butter to Dutch oven step)
If using mushrooms and onions add them to a Dutch oven with 1T Kosher salt over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their water and half the water has evaporated. Add the butter to the Dutch oven with the mushrooms and onions. Once the butter is just melted add cornstarch and stir, cooking the cornstarch for 3-4 minutes until it starts to get golden. Add beef stock and stir making sure to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the rest of the gravy ingredients and stir to incorporate. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until gravy has thickened, 10-15 minutes.
Assembly:
Plate rice in the center of the plate. Laddle the gravy generously over the rice and then add the ground beef pattie on top. Top the beef pattie with a sunny side up egg and garnish with scallions.
Enjoy!
Pro tip:
Spread ground beef out about 1 inch thick on cutting board and then season the ground beef. Then place ground beef in mixing bowl and mix gently. This helps to spread the seasoning out evenly to prevent "over working" the protein.