Katsu Loco Moco and Miso Gravy

Bowl made by Crate & Barrel.

I really miss traveling — especially to the tropics. Last year, we visited Hawaii with family & friends, and I remember eating Loco Moco on the beach at Lanikai. At home, I breaded and fried the patty katsu-style to give it some texture and paired it with a savory miso gravy. Top it off with fried eggs, hot sauce, and scallions, and you’ll have a dish filled with aloha.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• Katsu Patties:

  • 1 pound ground turkey (or beef or chicken)

  • 2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped (like relish-small dices)

  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

  • 1 teaspoon curry powder (optional, but it’s delicious)

  • 2 cups of panko

  • 2 eggs

• Miso Gravy:

  • 2 1/2 cups of beef stock

  • 1 tablespoon miso paste

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

• Brown or steamed rice (1 cup per person)

• Fried eggs over-easy (1 - 2 per person)

• Vegetable/Canola Oil

• Scallions for garnish

• Hot Sauce (optional)

Steps:

1. Make your rice and fried eggs ahead of time and keep warm.

2. To make the patties, mix the ground meat with the onions, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, and curry powder. Divide into 4 equally sized patties about an inch thick. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. This will stiffen the patties to make it easier to bread.

3. Create a dredging station with 2 large plates, On one plate, place the 2 eggs beaten, and on the other, place the panko. Do a double dredge of the patties by dipping a patty in the egg, then the panko, back in the egg, and one last time in the panko. Repeat with the other patties, and place back in the refrigerator to let the panko adhere while you make the gravy.

4. To make the gravy, heat up the beef stock in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the miso paste and dissolve into the broth. In a small cup, mix the cornstarch with a couple tablespoons of the hot stock to make a “slurry”. Then add the slurry into the rest of the broth to thicken. Add the butter and cream to the gravy. If it gets too thick, add a little water to thin it out. Keep gravy warm on low heat while you cook the patties.

5. In a skillet, heat up vegetable/canola oil over medium-high heat. Place the patties in the hot oil, and fry for 5 minutes on one side. Flip and fry the other side for an additional 4 minutes.

6. To plate, place a bed of rice on the bottom of your bowl, add your katsu patty, add your fried egg, pour over the gravy on top and on the rice. Garnish with scallions and hot sauce.

7. Pair this dish with a Mai Tai cocktail and call everyone “bruh” for the rest of the day.