Comfort Food

Ultimate comfort food… you’d be surprised. 

While growing up, my mom would occasionally fry up some eggs at the last minute and ask everyone if they wanted one.  She would only do this with a few meals- not every dish she prepared would go well with the eggs, you understand.  I always refused, despite my love of sunny-side-up eggs, thinking it was gross and weird.  My brother might indulge, my mother, sometimes my father, but never myself nor my sister.  One day, randomly, I thought it might taste good- the drop of soy sauce, a bit salty-sweet, almost like ketchup… why not? 

So I gave it a try… you’re meant to pop the egg yolk and mix it with the rice/meat mixture.  The way the egg yolk blends with the rice, binding it together, creating a thicker gravy with a creamy consistency is fantastic.  I can’t explain how great I think this dish is, please just make it on your own and try it.  It’s that good.  Of course, if you’re squeamish, just leave out the egg and you still have a great dish.  For the salmonella-wary, use pasteurized eggs.

• 1 lb. ground beef
• soy sauce
• onion powder
• minced garlic
• mixed veggies (it’s perfectly acceptable to use frozen)
• corn starch slurry (one teaspoon cornstarch, cold water, use fingers to mix)
• cooked white rice
• an egg

In a skillet over medium-low heat, brown ground beef with a splash of soy sauce, breaking up the meat as it cooks.  Add dash of onion powder and spoon of minced garlic (both are optional; I left out the garlic in the above picture because I forgot, and because I’m a little bored of the garlic-soy combination).  When cooked through, add a little more soy sauce (less than a quarter cup), then add corn starch slurry and bring mixture to a boil.  After it boils, the gravy should thicken considerably; add veggies, mix throughout and turn off fire. 

Optional: slice some scallions on top.

Fry egg sunny side up in a separate frying pan. 

Serve meat mixture over rice, sunny side up egg on top with a few drops of soy sauce on top of egg (optional).  Break egg yolk and mix with rice/meat.  Not optional: enjoy!!!