By SHARON K GHAG
Spam, that fabulous find of the ’30s and ’40s, is enjoying renewed popularity because of tough economic times.
This touted “Miracle Meat of a Million Uses” can be used in sandwiches, salads, mac and cheese; with eggs; skewered with pineapple chunks or vegetables and grilled; in casseroles; sliced, diced, baked or fried; and in soups and stir-fries.
There’s classic Spam in a can. Other varieties of Spam include oven-roasted turkey, with cheese, with bacon, hickory smoke flavored, hot and spicy, “lite,” low-sodium … the list goes on.
Memories of Spam take many people back to their childhood.
Oakdale, Calif., native Dallas Brunetti enjoyed “hot-dog surprise” as a youngster.
“I first remember Mom fixing these in the late ’50s. I didn’t know at the time that we were in hard times like everyone else around us,” she said. “I remember these being a real treat to have.”
Some get nostalgic for the sweet-and-salty taste of Spam and peaches cooked over an open fire after a hard day of hiking as part of a Boy Scout troop, while others remember the taste of their mom’s Spam loaf glazed with brown sugar and stuffed with half rings of pineapple.
Ethel Hall, 85, of Waterford, Calif., may be one of the reasons Spam is nearly an institution.
“We had fried eggs and Spam for breakfast,” she said of eating the product in the mid-1940s. “Spam sandwiches for lunch. Best of all, I think, was Spam for dinner. I spread the meat with mustard, covered it with brown sugar and baked it, serving with potatoes and salad.”
For others still, Spam brings back memories of wartime hardships.
“You use it to survive,” recalled Lois Alldrin of Ripon, Calif., who turns up her nose at the mere mention of Spam. “Everything was rationed. You couldn’t buy meat unless you had a coupon. We used a lot of Spam. I know the servicemen ate a lot of Spam.”
Spam gained popularity from its role during World War II, when Hormel provided 15 million cans of luncheon meat to troops every week.
Nancy Cline of Modesto, Calif., recalled those times. “People got so tired of Spam during the war [including the GIs] that it became a bad word.”
These days, more than 122 million cans of Spam are sold worldwide each year, according to Hormel. The luncheon meat is distributed in 41 countries.
In Asia, Spam is the darling at mealtime.
“South Koreans are the biggest consumers of Spam in the Asia/ Pacific, with Japanese and Filipinos coming in at second and third, respectively,” according to an article in the Eatz! section of a July 2006 issue of Asian Week. “In South Korea, Spam is seen as an upscale food and a nice hostess gift. Some Japanese eat Spam every day, and in the Philippines, Spam is a household product.”
But nowhere is Spam more loved than in Hawaii.
Says Hormel: “Hawaii has the highest consumption per capita for Spam, where it is available in restaurants, convenience stores and as a staple in nearly every kitchen pantry.”
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Hot Dog Surprise
1 can Spam
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 large dill pickle
White or yellow onion (optional)
Mayonnaise, to taste
Hot dog buns (do NOT substitute bread)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate first four ingredients into a large bowl. Stir in enough mayonnaise to coat ingredients well. Spoon into buns. Wrap each bun in aluminum foil. Put these inside a covered lid roasting pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
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Spam Loaf Hawaiian
2 cans Spam
Mustard, to taste
1 can pineapple rings
Brown sugar, to taste
Cut four slits in each loaf of Spam, but not all the way through. Spread a little mustard inside the slits, then put a half ring of pineapple in each slit. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and bake in a 350-degree oven until it is hot and the sugar gets glazed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Slice it so that each serving has a slice of the pineapple.
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Luncheon Meat Chili
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fat
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 12-ounce can Spam, chopped
1 No. 2 can kidney beans
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Saute onion and garlic in fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.
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Spam with Pork ‘n’ Beans
2 cans pork and beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/3 bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 can Spam
Pour both cans of pork and beans into a 9-by-12-inch glass baking dish.
Saute the onion and bell pepper in oiled frying pan, then add to beans. Add brown sugar. Slice the Spam into 12 long pieces (very thin).
Brown in the frying pan, then lay in two rows on top of the beans.
Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
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Spamtastick
1 tablespoon oil
1 can Spam, diced
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 20-ounce can pineapple slices
Red maraschino cherries, drained and halved
1 box pineapple cake mix, mixed according to package ingredients
Whipped topping
Mint leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in skillet and saute Spam. Drain on paper towel. Melt butter in 9-by-13-inch pan. Sprinkle Spam and sugar evenly in pan, top with pineapple slices. Place cherries cut side up in center of pineapple slices. Prepare cake mix according to package directions and pour batter evenly in pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool five minutes, then invert cake. Top slices with whipped topping and mint.
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Spam Dinner
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can Spam, cut into 1/4-inch squares
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon crushed chili powder (optional)
1/4 can (small) tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1 dozen soft tortillas
Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion until translucent. Add Spam, stirring frequently to heat evenly. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour over the Spam. Add chili powder, if desired.
Stir in tomato sauce, stirring well to incorporate. Add water and bring to a full boil. Turn down heat and simmer for three to five minutes.
Serve with refried beans or heat tortillas and place 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each tortilla before folding it into a burrito.
You can also add a scrambled egg or refried beans to the tortilla. Do not add salt and pepper.
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