Recipe: Meatball Loco Moco
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If it were up to me it would be socially acceptable to put gravy on everything: eggs, tacos, cake…everything and anything! It’s definitely not just for reviving dry turkey meat on Thanksgiving, that is for sure. And maybe one of the best uses of gravy out there is on loco moco.
I made a meatball loco moco recently and instantly regretted not writing down notes as I made it because I knew right away that it would be something that I would want to replicate again, as well as share the recipe with you guys. It just so happened around that time that SunFed Ranch agreed to partner with me, and they liked this recipe idea too! So, this recipe for meatball loco moco was developed in partnership with SunFed Ranch, who pride themselves in raising cattle that are 100% grass fed and treated with the highest level of care and dignity.
Loco moco is a classic Hawaiian plate lunch, meant to be a fast and casual meal that is oh so hearty. It usually consists of steamed rice, a hamburger patty, brown gravy, and a fried egg. However, I thought that shaping the beef into meatballs instead of a patty would help integrate the components of the dish together and be even more fun to eat. So, my version of loco moco has fluffy meatballs, made using 80/20 SunFed Ranch Natural Ground Beef and a mixture of egg, milk, and panko breadcrumbs that helps keep the texture light and airy. I also put my own Southeast Asian spin on the gravy using kecap manis (a caramel-y sweet dark soy sauce from Malaysia and Indonesia) and the results are a glossy, deep brown gravy with lots of umami and just a tiny hint of sweetness.
Here’s what you need to know about the components of this dish:
Rice: Start cooking your rice before you start the rest of the recipe and keep it on warm in your rice cooker. This dish comes together pretty quickly aside from a little bit of time chilling the meatball mixture to firm it up.
Meatballs: I like using a very fine grind when I am making meatballs, because I think that lends to a smoother texture and a more spherical shape. That’s why SunFed Ranch Natural Ground Beef works really well for this recipe. I make a mixture of egg, milk, and panko that prevents the texture of the meatballs from getting too dense, and the fine grind of this beef incorporates with that really nicely. Don’t overwork the mixture, and you should end up with nice bouncy, light meatballs.
Mushrooms: I love using a mixed medley of mushrooms for the gravy. They make the dish look interesting and bring textural complexity. In this case, I used a mix of cremini, shimeji, and tree oyster mushrooms, but I have also made it with chantrelles and shiitakes—all delicious and beautiful! Use what you like, or what looks good in your local markets. Whatever you use, just cut them all down to relatively the same size so that they cook evenly.
Fried egg: It’s not loco moco without that sunny side up egg! I find that the less time my egg carton has been sitting around in my fridge, the more successful my fried eggs turn out. I usually drain some (but not all) of the loose egg white out before I pour my egg into a pan of oil heated on medium heat and hold the yolk in place in the middle for the first few seconds. Getting the temperature right is key, so I suggest practicing to figure out what’s the best for your stove. If the heat is too low, you won’t get the crispy edges and if the heat is too high, the whites will splatter too crazily and create weird bubbles around the yolk.
Gravy: The gravy is the most important part of the dish, in my opinion! After the fat renders out of the meatballs, I sauté the mushrooms in that beefy goodness and add beef stock to make the gravy in the same pan. But the thing that makes my version special is kecap manis—a thick, slightly sweet soy sauce that is common in Malaysian and Indonesian cooking. If you see “dark soy sauce” at the supermarket from a Chinese brand, that’s not the same thing. Be sure to look for something that is a product of Southeast Asia; this is the one that I use**.
Garnishes and enhancements: I love eating rice seasoned with furikake; I think the extra earthy flavor from the nori and the nuttiness from the sesame seeds goes so well with the steamed rice! But the gravy will be plenty flavorful for your rice if you don’t have it and want to skip this ingredient. The chives and cilantro will bring freshness and another layer of flavor too, but they are also not critical to the dish.
I hope this recipe brings your mealtime some chill island vibes and full bellies.
How to Make Meatball Loco Moco
with Sweet Soy Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients for the meatballs
1 lb SunFed Ranch Natural Ground Beef 80/20
1 egg
4 tsp milk
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tbsp butter
Ingredients for the Gravy
1/2 lb mixed mushrooms, cut into equal bite-sized pieces
1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 tsp kecap manis
1 3/4 cup beef stock
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
For Serving
3 servings cooked jasmine rice
3 eggs, fried
furikake
3–4 tsp chives, chopped
cilantro leaves, for garnish
Procedure
To begin making the meatballs, beat together the egg and milk, then add the panko breadcrumbs. Let sit while prepping the other ingredients, so the panko absorbs the moisture. In a separate mixing bowl, combine SunFed Ranch Natural Ground Beef, garlic power, soy sauce, and allspice. Mix gently to combine, then add the panko mixture and gently mix to combine again. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
Roll the chilled meatball mixture into 1-inch balls. (I get 16–18 meatballs.)
Heat a large skillet on medium heat and melt the butter. Add the meatballs and cook, rolling or rotating them often, until browned all the way around and just cooked through; about 8–10 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another plate.
Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the pan drippings, then add the mushrooms to the same skillet. Sauté the mushrooms until tender, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of pepper, and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add kecap manis and beef stock and simmer on medium-low until the liquid starts to thicken and no longer feels watery, about 5–7 minutes. Stir together cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry, then stir into the skillet mixture. Return the meatballs to the skillet and mix gently. The gravy should be thick enough to thinly coat the meatballs without sliding off. Once it reaches that stage, remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
Plate the rice and top with a generous sprinkle of furikake. Divide the meatballs and gravy over the plates of rice, and top each with a fried egg. Sprinkle chives over each plate and garnish with cilantro.
Thank you so much to SunFed Ranch for sponsoring this recipe! Visit their website to learn more about their 100% grass fed, pasture raised cattle.