Hawaiian Loco Moco: The Hilo Comfort Dish Richard and Nancy Inouye Created in 1949

The loco moco was created in 1949 at the Lincoln Grill Restaurant in Hilo, Hawaii, by its proprietors, Richard and Nancy Inouye. According to What's Cooking America, the loco moco story began in 1949, after Richard and Nancy Inouye opened the Lincoln Grill Restaurant, when a group of teenagers from the Lincoln Wreckers sporting club asked Nancy to make them something cheap and filling that they could eat with rice. Nancy made a hamburger patty, placed it over a bowl of rice, and topped it with brown gravy, and a few days later added a fried egg to the top. The teenagers named the dish *loco moco*, after one of their members whose nickname was Loco, and *moco* was added because it rhymed. The dish, originally priced at twenty-five cents, became a sensation in Hilo and spread to every diner and plate-lunch shop in the islands. Wikipedia confirms the 1949 origin at the Lincoln Grill in Hilo, noting that the hamburger steak and rice combination with gravy and a fried egg is now considered a staple of Hawaiian cuisine and comfort food.

The genius of the loco moco is the layering. The rice is the foundation, absorbing the gravy and the egg yolk. The hamburger patty provides the savory, beefy heart. The gravy, rich with beef drippings and soy, binds everything. The fried egg, with its runny yolk, is the crown that, when broken, turns the whole bowl into a sauce. It is the most complete and most affordable brunch ever invented, a dish born of teenage hunger and Hawaiian ingenuity that has become the comfort food of the islands.

About the Ingredients

Hamburger patty — ground beef, 80/20, formed into a thick patty and seared until crusty on the outside and juicy within. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper.

Rice — short-grain or medium-grain white rice, steamed, the foundation of the bowl. Calrose or Japanese rice is traditional in Hawaii.

Egg — a fresh egg, fried sunny-side up or over-easy, so the yolk runs into the rice and gravy when broken.

Gravy — brown gravy made from the beef pan drippings, beef broth, soy sauce, and a cornstarch or flour slurry, simmered until thick and glossy. The gravy is what unites the dish.

Garnish — sliced green onions, optional chopped cilantro, and a shake of black pepper.

Ingredients (serves 4): - 1 lb ground beef (80/20) - Salt and freshly ground black pepper - 4 cups cooked short-grain white rice - 4 large eggs - 2 tbsp vegetable oil - 1 small onion, finely chopped - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups beef broth - 2 tbsp soy sauce - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce - 1/2 tsp sugar - Sliced green onions, for garnish

Instructions: Divide the ground beef into four equal portions and form each into a thick patty. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the patties until deeply browned on both sides and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.

Gradually whisk in the beef broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Simmer, whisking, until the gravy thickens to a glossy sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the patties to the gravy to coat and keep warm.

In a separate non-stick skillet, fry the eggs sunny-side up or over-easy.

To serve, mound 1 cup of rice in each of four bowls. Top with a hamburger patty and a generous ladle of gravy. Crown with a fried egg and garnish with green onions. Serve at once.

The Mimosa Pairing Logic: The rich, savory, beefy loco moco wants a bright, tropical sparkling drink that can cut through the gravy and echo the Hawaiian setting. A pineapple coconut mimosa is the natural match, the tropical pineapple and coconut doubling down on the Hawaiian theme and the bubbles lifting the heavy rice and gravy. A tropical mango mimosa is equally lovely, its ripe mango sweetness a bright companion to the savory beef. This pairing is a sparkling toast to Richard and Nancy Inouye and the Lincoln Grill of Hilo, 1949.

Reference Links: - Loco Moco History and Recipe (1949 Lincoln Grill, Richard and Nancy Inouye, Hilo Hawaii): What's Cooking America - Loco Moco (1949 origin, Hawaiian cuisine, comfort food staple): Wikipedia