Embracing SPAM

Embracing SPAM

 

 

I’ve encountered some pretty strong facial expressions when I insinuate that having SPAM in one’s food storage is an asset.  And to be forthright, I totally get it.  Even when we were dirt poor, my mother never made us eat it.

 

However, I wasn’t educated in matters of emergency preparedness then either.  But I certainly am now, and as a result, have come to embrace the wonders of SPAM.  I’ve discovered that if I cook with it much like I would chicken or pork in a recipe, then it’s delightful.

 

And no, the irony that I’m writing about SPAM today in the face of the Swine Flu has not escaped me.  I guess I’m just warped that way.

 

I have some great recipes that I’ve tried out and adapted for “food storage” available ingredients, but before I do that, I thought I’d share a couple of factoids about SPAM for you.

 

A 2 ounce serving contains 7 grams of protein and 15 grams of fat—two important components for the body during an emergency.

 

Residents of Hawaii and Guam consume the most amount of SPAM per capita than any of the other areas, including 41 countries in which SPAM is sold.  In fact, SPAM is sold on the McDonald’s menu in Guam and the Burger King menu in Hawaii—known as the “Hawaiian Steak.”

SPAM was widely used during World War II in Okinawa and the Philippines due to it being an effective way to get meat to the front lines.  Soldiers had to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  As such, they began to joke that SPAM was simply “ham that didn’t pass its physical” or “meatloaf without basic training.” Surpluses of SPAM from the soldiers' supplies made their way into native diets.  Consequently, SPAM is a unique part of the history and effects of U.S. influence in the Pacific. SPAM comes in 12 different flavor varieties, including garlic, hot and spicy, and a roasted turkey version.

Due to its low cost, it’s long been stigmatized as “poor people food.”

 

SPAM is consumed all over the world in fried rice, stir fried with noodles, in sandwiches, burritos, and fried on the sides and served with eggs.  It’s even been used in sushi rolls.

 

Every year, Austin, MN has a Jam celebration in honor of the food which includes fireworks and a carnival-type setting. Waikiki, HI does something similar as well each year.  Austin, TX holds a Spam-a-rama each year which conducts a Cook-off Contest as well.

 

My suggestion is that you begin familiarizing yourself with SPAM now, so that you can successfully use it in your meal preparation in the (not so distant?) future.

 

Fritatta


3 tbsp butter, oleo or vegetable oil                  
7-oz can SPAM, cubed 1/4"
1/2 cup of dried chopped onion                      
10 pitted black olives, chopped
1/2 cup of dried chopped green pepper        
6 eggs (or equivalent of dried eggs, rehydrated)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (or dried equivalent)
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp pepper

In 10-inch omelet pan or skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add onion, green pepper and potatoes; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisply tender (5 to 7 minutes).  Add SPAM and olives; continue cooking until SPAM is heated through.  Loosen sautéed ingredients from bottom of pan; add remaining 1 tbsp butter.  Tilt pan to cover bottom with butter.  In small bowl mix eggs, water, and pepper; pour over SPAM mixture.  Cover; cook over low heat 12 to 15 minutes or until egg mixture is set on top.  With pancake turner, loosen edges and bottom; invert onto serving platter.  Yield: 6 servings

Hearty Spam and Bean Soup


2 cups dried pinto beans, wash and soak overnight
(or make this in a pressure cooker)
12 oz can SPAM, cubed 1/2"           
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 quart water       
3 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
2 (13-oz) cans tomato juice              
1 (14-oz) cans chicken stock            
1 medium onion, chopped (or dried equivalent)
                        

In 4-quart saucepan add all ingredients; stir to blend.  Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to low; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until soup is thickened (3 to 4 hours or 30 minutes in a pressure cooker).  Remove bay leaves.  Yield: 6 servings

Spaghetti SPAM Carbonara


1 1/2 lbs spaghetti             
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil                     
12-oz can SPAM, cubed 1/4"           
1/2 cup chopped onion                     
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
ground pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in skillet cook SPAM and onion in oil and butter over medium heat until lightly browned.  Set aside.  When spaghetti is cooked, drain; return to pot.  Add eggs; toss to combine.  Add SPAM mixture, cheese and parsley; toss to combine.  Season to taste with pepper.  Serve immediately.  Yield: 6 servings. Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter here To see our upcoming event schedule, click here Check out our inhome-course programs Subscribe to Preparedness Pro today and never miss a thing! For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit! Copyright Protected 2009, Preparedness Pro and Kellene. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

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Comments

Thanks for the info on SPAM - I've got a few cans in my storage that I wasn't sure what to do with!

Joy, I posted a SPAM Fried Rice recipe in an earlier post that I actually really like. It tastes like Pork Fried Rice indeed. The only thing you need to be aware of when you cook with SPAM is that it's already plenty salty, so don't add salt to your recipe until you've tasted it. Here's the repost of that recipe:
Spam Fried Rice
This recipe is an ideal use of Spam, the meat that seems to store as long as a Twinkie.
And it’s an easy “dump” kind of recipe. If you elect to make it as a non-food storage meal, you can use 8 to 10 ounces of boneless pork chops and add a couple of stalks of sliced green onions (white and green portion) and use frozen peas instead.

As a food-storage meal, you can also substitute the Spam for canned chicken or canned baby shrimp too if you prefer.

1 12 oz can of Spam, cut into small square pieces
2 teaspoons of olive oil
1 package (6.2 oz.) of Rice-A-Roni (Fried Rice flavor)
2 cups of water
1 can of peas- drained
Soy sauce for serving (optional)

Place the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. And heat it over medium-high heat. Add the Spam pieces and cook, stirring until the Spam is browned a bit., 2-3 minutes.
Add the Rice-a-Roni including the seasoning contents. Pour in 2 cups of water and stir to loosen the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the peas and warm a bit longer, 3-5 minutes. Serve at once with soy sauce as desired.

Fuel conservation note: If you merely heat up the pan enough to bring the water to boiling, you needn’t continue to cook it on your fuel source. You can merely let the dish set for a while (about 30 – 45 minutes) and let it naturally absorb the water. The Spam is safe to eat whether it’s heated or not.

When we lived on Maui, we discovered SPAM musubi. It's sold at the deli counter at Safeway and other grocery stores, convenience stores and I've even found it at drug stores. After about a year I was lucky enough to have one of our Hawaiian friends teach me her family's "secret" recipe for SPAM musubi. It's so simple to make and all the ingredients are ones that you'd have in your food storage.

Another thing my Mom did when I was a kid and I've continued to make it for my family... slice SPAM about 1/4" thick, fry until browned with a bit of a crust, flip and fry other side. Then add a can of whole or diced tomatoes... make sure to stir in the bits of SPAM that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Serve over toast or rice.

Actually... I came back just now to mention that and to apologize. I'm now so used to having nori in the house that I forget that this isn't something that others would necessarily have.

Nori is something that is inexpensive, stores well, wouldn't take much space and is quite nutritious, so it would make a good addition to food storage if someone wanted to add some for variety.

So to change my original comment... with the exception of nori, you'd likely have the ingredients in your kitchen... SPAM, soy sauce, sugar and rice.

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