Worldwide,12.8 cans of Spam are consumed every second. 20 Facts About SPAM (Medium).
My friend William likes SPAM. I find this inexplicable. But as I have shared some of the finest food and wine with him and he has traveled the world, I respect his palate which is more forgiving than mine when it comes to this popular mystery meat. Maybe it's because of his travels in the ’70’s through northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. As a student expedition leader for numerous canoeing adventures along the tributaries near Churchill, he relied on SPAM for a fully cooked meal that packed well and was ready to eat. The ultimate prepper’s food, SPAM was a shelf-stable source of fats, protein, and calories that he and his canoe mates grew to rely on.
And this brings me back to today’s post. After 20+ years taste traveling in Italy with our Italian family and friends working with small producers and generational families eating, cooking, shopping and writing about artisan Italian food and the pivotal place food has at the tables of Italy, how am I to relate to SPAM?
Pork and ham are iconic in Italy. Essential Italian pork cuts like prosciutto, pancetta, mortadella, salami, speck and guanciale are unique artisanal foods with PDO, protected area of designation. Although there is no comparable product, you can find SPAM in Italy. If you look hard enough it will turn up in some Asian markets in Milan. There is a canned meat product in Italy called Simmenthal. It is advertised as “canned beef in gelatin made with marsala, salt, honey, and herbs”. It has been described as tasting like corned beef. No one I know in Italy has ever mentioned it to me.
You can’t deny the worldwide popularity of SPAM. Demand is at an all time high setting food trends from ramen to sushi to tacos to Shepherd’s Pie. Like a Taylor Swift Easter egg William leaves subtle clues about SPAM and how I should consider giving it a try. So here are a few Italian inspired SPAM recipes with ingredients from CosituttiMarketPlace that bring this perennial pantry staple into the Italian kitchen.
I’ll be sending William an e-mail with plans for a summer road trip to the Spam Museum in Austin Minnesota. Not as adventurous as a canoe trip in Saskatchewan but then again all provisions are provided.
SPAM with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
1 (12 oz.) can SPAM
Mozzarella cheese, thickly sliced
1/4 tsp. Italian seasonings
Dash of minced garlic
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut Spam into slices. Cut cheese to fit between Spam slices. Reassemble as a loaf holding it together with toothpicks. Mix the rest of ingredients together. Pour over the top. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes until SPAM is golden brown with crispy edge and mozzarella is melted.
SPAM Carbonara
12 ounces Matt Monograno Spaghetti
4 large eggs
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup SPAM diced
Freshly cracked black pepper and fine sea salt, to taste
Boil spaghetti according to package directions then drain reserving ¾ cup pasta water. In medium bowl, whisk the eggs and cheese until well combined. Add diced SPAM to a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat to extract the fat until SPAM is crispy and golden brown. Add drained spaghetti to skillet using tongs to gently stir and combine. Remove the pan from the heat.
Add egg mixture, stirring quickly until the eggs thicken into a sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a tablespoon or so of the reserved pasta water. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and salt if needed. Plate the pasta and sprinkle with more pecorino. Serve immediately.
Peperoni Ripieni Con Spam Glazed with Red Pepper Confit
2 or 3 red bell peppers
1 can SPAM finely diced
2 links Italian sausage removed from casings
1/3 cup day old rustic Italian bread
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 whole eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons Capezzana Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fine sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a bowl, soak the bread in the milk until completely softened. In a large bowl add the diced SPAM and sausage and mix it together with your hands Then add the eggs and bread well squeezed out of the milk and mix all together. Do not over mix. Add the grated cheese and chopped parsley. Gently miix and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Wash and dry the peppers. Then cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and internal membrane from the peppers. Salt them and lightly rub with olive oil. Spoon filling into the peppers stuffing well and place them in an oiled baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 40 minutes until peppers are soft and tops are slightly crusty and golden brown. The last 10 minutes glaze tops with L’Épicurien Red Pepper Confit. Remove from the oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a side of L’Épicurien Red Pepper Confit as a condiment.
SPAM Caprese Panini
8 slices of SPAM
8 slices rustic Italian bread
8 slices of fresh Mozzarella di Buffalo cheese sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 large firm ripe fresh tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
Fresh basil leaves
Begin by making the balsamic vinegar reduction by pouring balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally so that the vinegar doesn’t burn. Simmer for five to seven minutes or until reduced by half in volume. You’ll know it’s ready when it starts getting thicker and syrupy.
In large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the SPAM slices 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown with a slight crispy edge. Cool slices of SPAM. Brush one side of bread slices with olive oil. Place bread, oil side down, on work surface. Top each bread slice with one slice of SPAM, one slice of cheese, one slice of tomato and 1 or 2 basil leaves. Drizzle generously with balsamic reduction. Put the other slice of bread on top and brush top side with olive oil and grill 3-5 minutes or until bread is browned on both sides and cheese is slightly melted. Serve immediately.
SPAM Slices with 3 Little Figs Plum Fig and Cherry Chutney (Mostarda)
Spread a layer of 3 Little Figs Plum Fig and Cherry Chutney (Mostarda) on slices of SPAM and microwave for 15 seconds.
Great post on my favorite cooking and now my favorite Prepper website.