SPAM

My Dad was in the Army in WWII and developed a love of Spam. He would fry it up for us with eggs on the weekend every once in a while. I was never a big fan. My roommate in college would buy Dax canned ham and I couldn't even get that stuff past my lips.

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^^^^
Another camping staple!! Most of those mini-hams come from Holland, so they HAVE to be good, right?
 
^^^^
Another camping staple!! Most of those mini-hams come from Holland, so they HAVE to be good, right?

Isn't dat veird?

As a kid growing up due to low funds we ate a bunch of Spam. I got VERY tired of it and I don't think I have eaten Spam in almost 50 years and don't see any in my diet in the near or distant future. We never had it grilled, it was always fried.
 
You have no idea the impact that Spam had in the Pacific, Burma, and Southeast Asian Theater of WW2. It saved millions of people from starvation. It literally saved a entire generation in South Korea, in fact South Korea is the only place outside of the United State that Spam is produced. Korean Army Vet' s have told me their mess sergeants had to use Spam even though they had other foods to use. It was not a favorite of the personal. So what they did is arrange for full cases of Spam to be thrown away and they would make sure the local refugee village was told when this was going to happen so they could pick up the "trash" other potable foods were included canned pork-n-beans etc. From this a dish was developed that is eaten in South Korea to this day, Budae Jjigae. Known as "Garbage Can Stew", or more commonly "Army Camp Stew". I have made this for myself and I love it. It has just a few fixed ingredients, Spam, Kimchi, Gochujang Hot Pepper Paste, and rice. The rest was anything found in the "garbage can". Pork-n-beans, hot dogs, sausage, ham, any vegetable, noodles, etc. numerous recipes on line, I made it once with fresh shrimp, pure ambrosia.

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I haven't had Spam in over 40 years. My GF couldn't remember the last time she had any. Mr. Jimfet has never steered me wrong so I grilled some Spam yesterday afternoon. I basted the slices with Carolina Mustard BBQ sauce except for one that I basted with Heinz Texas Bold and Spicy BBQ sauce. I'm not really a fan of bottled BBQ sauce but that Heinz sauce is surprisingly good. I didn't care for Spam when I was kid but it was really good grilled with BBQ sauce. My GF also like it so that's :thumbsup: :thumbsup:.

Thanks, once again for the inspiration Jim!

-Dave
 
Hey
I grew up eating spam .Not on a regular basis but occasionally. When mom passed away I inherited her spam collection. I found diced ,fried with cabbage pretty tasty.
An old boy I knew from Mississippi did the same dish only with homany.
The low sodium type is what I buy. I've tried the low fat type. It wasn't to my liking.
The price they're asking you can buy real ham. Just sayin. Eric
 
I fry it with eggs for breakfast, grate it up and make Spam spread sandwiches, grill it, eat strips of it dipped in Sriracha. A buddy won a Spam cook off competition with Spam fajitas, and I've never actually had a Spam fajita.
 
During WW2 The back cover on the National Geographic magazine featured Hormel ad's. Hormel used it to display recipes and serving suggestions for Spam. I have made many of these recipes and they are all excellent and very simple. There are many more Hormel purchased the space on the back cover of The National Geographic from 1942 until 1945 so each back cover has a way of serving Spam and occasionally their other canned meat products.

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I often use spam in place of bacon, or ham in fried rice. Make it just like you regularly do but just use Spam for the meat. excellent.
 
The pictures alone are making my gout toe start to ache! Had spam, eggs and rice for breakfast on my last trip to HI. Burped spam all day, totally gross.
 
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It was time to grill some more. This is simple food Sunday. BBQued spam and tater skins. I keep a couple cans in the pantry now. I do it like I do liver pudding. Just make a bunch and wrap it in foil and leave it on the stove. As I go in and out of the kitchen, I grab a piece every now and then.
 
There is SPAM's forefather the New Jersey "Taylor Pork (Ham) Roll" it was invented by John Taylor in 1856 it was an unheralded staple during the Civil War. As much as I like SPAM I have to say I like the Taylor Pork Roll even better. You can prepare it any way you would do SPAM it is fantastic grilled on a charcoal hibachi. Living in Wyoming I have to mail order Taylor Pork Rolls and for many years my source is The Taylor Ham Man
http://www.thetaylorhamman.com/


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My GF brought her 2 year old grand daughter over for supper last night. The little girl didn't care much for the potatoes but ate the crap out of some grilled Spam. Ah! nothing like watching the makings of a meat eater in progress. That reminds me. The Pogly Wogly has baby backs on sell starting today. $2.79 lb. Time to stock up. Ribs for the 4th too.
 
OK, I admit it. I love Spam. I only eat it about once every 10 years because the wife doesn't eat it and I'm always on a diet. When I was in the Navy, early 70s, we would always stop at a little cook shack just off base in the Philippines. We were convinced that a Spam and egg sandwich, or two, was a hangover preventative. It was something the old timers passed down to the younger sailors.
 
OK, I admit it. I love Spam. I only eat it about once every 10 years because the wife doesn't eat it and I'm always on a diet. When I was in the Navy, early 70s, we would always stop at a little cook shack just off base in the Philippines. We were convinced that a Spam and egg sandwich, or two, was a hangover preventative. It was something the old timers passed down to the younger sailors.

Actually the salt content of a Spam an egg sandwich would be a useful hangover cure.
 
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