Loco Moco

Loco Moco

A Hawaiian diner classic from the Big Island: a mound of hot rice topped with a juicy beef patty, a sunny-side-up egg, and ladled with rich brown gravy.

Prep

10 min

Cook

25 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) steamed white rice, cooked and kept warm, short-grain Calrose is traditional
• •450 g (1 lb) ground beef (80/20 chuck)
• •4 whole large eggs
• •1 medium yellow onion
• •30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
• •30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
• •720 ml (3 cups) beef stock, low-sodium
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce, shoyu, the Hawaiian touch
• •5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
• •2 g (½ tsp) kosher salt
• •1 g (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil, for frying the patties
• •5 g (1 tsp) scallion, thinly sliced, optional garnish

Steps

1. 1 Cook the rice: rinse 300 g (1½ cups) Calrose rice until the water runs clear, then cook with 360 ml (1½ cups) water in a covered pot over low heat for 18 minutes; let it rest, fluff with a rice paddle, and keep covered.
2. 2 Form the patties: divide the 450 g ground beef into 4 equal 110 g portions and gently shape into patties slightly wider than your bun, since they shrink. Season both sides with salt and pepper; do not overwork the meat.
3. 3 Brown the patties: heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Sear the patties 3–4 minutes per side for medium (internal temperature 71 °C / 160 °F on an instant-read thermometer), or 4–5 minutes per side for well-done. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
4. 4 Make the gravy: in the same skillet with the browned bits, lower the heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the finely chopped onion and cook 4–5 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Sprinkle over the flour and stir constantly for 90 seconds to cook out the raw taste.
5. 5 Ladle in the beef stock slowly while whisking to prevent lumps, then add the soy sauce and Worcestershire. Simmer 5–7 minutes, whisking often, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt.
6. 6 Fry the eggs: in a clean non-stick skillet over medium-low with a thin film of oil, crack the eggs and cook 3–4 minutes for sunny-side up with set whites and runny yolks. Season lightly with salt.
7. 7 Assemble: mound 150 g of hot rice in the center of each plate or shallow bowl. Set a patty on top, lay an egg over the patty, then ladle roughly 120 ml (½ cup) of gravy generously over everything so it pools around the rice.
8. 8 Garnish with sliced scallion if using and serve immediately. A few dashes of shoyu at the table are very on-brand.
9. 9 Safety note: cook ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 71 °C (160 °F) and eggs until the whites are fully set and the yolks reach at least 63 °C (145 °F) for food safety.