Up your dinner game with Hawaiian-style comfort food

There’s a special charm in reinventing the familiar. Take loco moco, for instance — a delightful fusion of flavors that reimagines the humble hamburger patty into a delicious cultural mashup.

Loco moco embodies the multicultural tapestry of Hawaii. Its components — bed of fluffy rice from Asian cuisine, a sizzling hamburger patty crowned with a sunny-side-up egg from American diners and gravy reminiscent of European sauces — symbolize the diverse influences that shape Hawaiian cuisine.

Don’t let its delectable flavors fool you; loco moco is the epitome of simplicity, offering a quick, wallet-friendly solution for those hectic weeknight dinners.

With just a handful of affordable ingredients and minimal prep time, this flavorful masterpiece proves that delicious dining doesn’t have to be complicated or costly.

Loco Moco

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef, at least 15 to 20% fat

1 medium Maui or sweet onion, peeled (1/4 of the onion chopped; 3/4 sliced)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated

3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (optional)

2 cups beef broth

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

4 cups cooked white rice

4 eggs, fried, sunny side up or over easy

Green onions, sliced, for garnish

Procedure

Let’s start with the onion. Be sure you chop a quarter of the onion and slice the rest. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped onion, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt and pepper. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Shape this into 4 half-inch patties. Pop those on a plate and stick them in the fridge.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Once it’s hot, add the sliced onion and begin sautéing. You want the onion to be translucent. Stir them occasionally and sauté for about 5 minutes. Now, reduce the heat to low and continue to sauté the onion as it gets soft and begins to caramelize, about 7 more minutes. Remove the onions to a bowl and keep warm.

Next, retrieve the patties and add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Bump the heat back up to medium. Once it’s hot, carefully add the patties to the pan and cook them until browned, around 4 minutes per side. Transfer the patties to a platter and keep warm. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to the pan and sauté the mushrooms for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Get your second skillet warming to begin frying the eggs. You’ll have to do two things at once. If you are also walking and chewing gum, I suggest you stop immediately and focus.

Now, everybody in the pool — return the onions to the pan along with the beef broth, soy sauce and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the skillet and whisk until it thickens, about 5 minutes. You should be cooking over-easy or sunny-side-up eggs by now. Place the patties into the skillet to get all cozy and warmed back up.

To serve: On each plate place 1 cup cooked rice with one patty, a fried egg, then the gravy, topped with green onion.