The Loco Moco can be found at nearly every diner or restaurant establishment in Hawaii. There are as many variations of this dish as there are cultures in Hawaii. In all of its incarnations it is a delicious comfort food, and at best a gourmet treat.

Directions:

Rice

Prepare 1 to 2 cups of medium or short grain rice using your favorite method (stove top or rice cooker). I prefer using a rice cooker. I also prefer sticky rice, but fluffy white works just as well.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

Making the Salisbury Steak Patties

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, 1/2 to 2/3's of the cream of mushroom soup, beef stock, bread crumbs and 1 large egg. Add salt and pepper and other seasonings to taste. The mixture should be of a sticky moist consistency, but not so runny that you are unable to form patties. Should be slightly less dense than a Meatloaf. if your mixture is too dry, add more of the cream of mushroom soup or beef stock. If the mixture is too wet add more ground beef and bread crumbs.

Make 4 thick patties from the mixture and set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet to medium.

Put 1 teaspoon of bacon grease in the pan and wait until pan is up to temperature. When the skillet is hot, add the diced/sliced onion. Cook until onion begins to soften and starts to turn translucent. Add in the crushed garlic and cook for a few more minutes until the aroma of the garlic has permeated the pan.

Remove the garlic and onion from the skillet and set aside.

With the onion and garlic removed, place the 4 patties into the skillet browning them on both sides for 60 seconds. Once browned place skillet into oven. For an extra rich flavor add a slice of butter on top of each salisbury steak patty before placing in oven.

Cook for 10 minutes, or until hamburger meat is at the desired temperature.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the brown gravy.

Making the Brown Gravy

Pour brown gravy mix in a small sauce pan. Add a small amount of beef stock into the sauce pan and stir. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes a paste and there are no more pockets of gravy mix. Place sauce pan over a burner on Medium heat and begin slowly mixing in the remaining beef stock. Raise the temperature of the pan and continue stirring until the liquid is boiling. Once the gravy begins to boil you can lower the temperature down to a simmer. Reduce liquid until gravy is nice and thick. If the mixture is not getting thick you can add a thickener such as more brown gravy mix, or some flour/cornstarch, add in small quantities and continue stirring until the gravy reaches the desired thickness.

Plating

In a bowl, scoop in a bed of rice. On top of the rice, place a salisbury steak, then add 1/4 of the onions. In a skillet fry an egg for each salisbury steak. Make sure egg is runny (sunny side up or over easy). Place fried egg on top of the salisbury steak and onions. Lastly pour a heaping of the brown gravy over the dish until well coated. (a quarter cup to a half a cup per person).

Serve and Enjoy.