Monday, October 26, 2009

Spam redux


I've written here before about the gourmet restaurant that was serving Spam, of all things, to its up-scale clientele, and apparently getting rave reviews. I swore way back in the poverty days of grad school that I would never put that stuff in my mouth again, but the article piqued my curiosity.

I tried some and found it quite palatable if it were cut thin and grilled crisp. Makes a good substitute for breakfast bacon and can even be used in a pasta carbonara. It also keeps really well in its spiffy little cans and that's a real plus for me considering my lifestyle.

The other day I discovered a further improvement. Before slicing it into thin pieces for the griddle, I stood a "loaf" of it on end and cut it straight down the middle. Then I slice it into individual pieces about 3mm thick. You should get sixteen or seventeen slices out of each half that way. Four of five of these half-size slices are sufficient for a tasty breakfast, shown above with a salsa omelet and some of the last of my peppers.

OK, I guess I broke my oath.


6 comments:

BobG said...

Ate a lot of Spam growing up; it was a staple when camping. I have no problem with it as long as it's browned well like in your pictures.

Rio Arriba said...

Can't remember having it as a kid. In college it was cheap and "OK" but as you say, it has to be done up pretty crisp and that means thin sliced. Anything else is a no-go for me. The "best by" dates are three or more years ahead so it's a good staple to keep in the pantry.

Crotalus said...

As Bill Engvall said, "Spam" stands for "Stuff Posing as Meat" :oD

However, I like it, and browned as described in this article, it's even better.

Ryan said...

Never had Spam. Surprisingly it is not cheap. Maybe I will give that breakfast a try this weekend.

Jack said...

Recipe I found in Guam while doing military training there with the locals:

SPAM Kelaguen

1 can of SPAM, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 onion, diced
2 Green onions, diced
2-3 lemons (juiced)
1/2 c Coconut, grated
salt
black pepper
hot pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mash together with your hands. Chill. Serve
with tortillas or crackers.

For my taste, I use an extra couple of lemons and lots of hot pepper. :O

p.s. you can by the generic SPAM for about 1/3 the price

Unknown said...

i'm spam lover. i grate on box grater. mix it pickle relish and mayo. chill until firm and spread on sandwich bread. nummmmmy