SPAM the “meat” not internet spam.
Many people saw the movie 50 First Dates where the main course in the little cafe in Hawaii is SPAM & eggs. Some interesting trivia: Hawaii has the highest per capita consumption of SPAM in the world.
SPAM is relatively cheap, has a fairly long shelf life (at least 3 years from when I bought it to the “use before date”), and the listed ingredients aren’t too bad, all things considered (probably no worse than bacon?). However, it kind of reminds me of a line in the Crocidile Dundee movie “Tastes like s*** but it will keep you alive.”
Anyway, being a relatively open minded prepper looking to save a few bucks on my long term preps, on a recent camping trip to the mountains I decided to take some SPAM instead of bacon to give it a real world try. The can says it is pre-cooked and you can eat it directly but it looks like dogfood so I didn’t try that. However, it is not bad and even approaching good when you fry it up to make it crispy like bacon. And it is a whole lot easier to fry than bacon. And in a real pinch, I suppose one could eat it directly out of the can…although I think I would still roast a chunk over a candle flame.
Costco has six 12oz cans of SPAM for $10.99. That turns out to be $2.44/lb. More expensive than tuna fish but actually much cheaper than bacon, especially considering the net result is far less than the package weight.
Costco also has thier Kirkland brands of “Premium Chunk Chicken Breast” for six 12.5oz cans for $9.99 which is $2.13/lb and thier “Premiun Brisket Roast Beef” at six 12oz cans for $9.99 which is $2.22/lb. Since discovering those, we routinely use both and are quite pleased at the quality.
Thoughts, ideas, suggestions, other alternatives, recipes?
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Spam is not so bad, but it is very salty. High Blood Pressure in a Can! Actually, it’s not really so bad if there’s nothing else around, and there’s water to drink.
When you get to the point that all you have is rice and beans, you can stir fry small amounts into your food as a ‘condiment’ to give it a little extra meaty hammy flavor. Also good in stir fried cabbage and onion over rice.
There is also a ‘low fat’ version of spam that is now available, but I don’t know if it has the same amount of salt or not. Hopefully, not.
I like the little one pound “DAK” danish canned hams, but they are kind of big for just one person’s meal.
They had ‘Ham’ packed in tuna size cans (about 6 oz. each) at Big Lots the other day for $1.00 each. Also had kippered herring, smoked oysters, and some sardines on sale for around the same price.
I’ve always loved to have sardines with french bread, green apples, cheese and wine in my back pack when I go skiing. Hardly EVER see anybody eating sardines any more!!
When my father, brother, and I used to pack in to the High Sierras in California (45 years ago) SPAM sandwiches were a staple for lunch. There is enough fat in it that you don’t need butter on the bread. I agree with pfwag that it is NOT the cheapest of meats, but the flavor is greater than that of canned chicken, so it fits right into heddiecalifornia’s option of using it as the additive for a pot of beans & rice. Cut it into small cubes or thin slivers and add it to the pot. I am pretty sure I’ve seen “low salt” versions at WalMart, but the 6-packs we buy at Sam’s Club are the original high-salt, high-fat version. Two ounces of it = 16gm fat, 7gm protein, & 1gm carbohydrate … and 790mg sodium. I agree with heddie that that is saltier than I prefer but when using it as the sole additive to a pot of very bland beans & rice, the salt may be welcome.
It is definitely part of our prep stores (currently 12 cans but destined to be more).
I’ve found that I like the combo of Spam and Bush’s Baked Beans (canned) so well that I ate all of both of these items from my prep shelves. Note to self: buy CASES of both, they are GOOD!
Spam Lite, it has 50 percent less calories and 25 percent less sodium. They have a Turkey Spam also. I have not tried this stuff yet. I have till August of 09 to get up the nerve.
heddiecalifornia-You and I could share a picnic basket out skiing any day. Loved your menu. (And I, too, am one of those oddballs who loves sardines. Whenever I travel anywhere overseas or elsewhere I always hit the local markets and pick up their brands for a tastetest. I am rarely disappointed).
I always buy the low-salt variety of SPAM (hard to go back to the original) and the turkey variety is pretty good, IMO.
Sardines ? Guts & bones…Yuck!
Spam sliced and fried, on dry toast with thin parmesan or romano cheese is very good. A family tradition.
You had me going there for a second. Carry on.
Yes, I had seen this thread earlier today and figured it was the bad kind of spam (though some would suggest that is correct), but when the thread kept bobbing to the top, curiousity got the better of me and I opened it.
My current user line at CE is “Let them eat Spam” :-)
SPAM can be used in a lot of different dishes. I’ve posted a lot in the recipes threads.
ok, now I’m breaking into my preps and getting sardines out for lunch.
When I was growing up my mom used to make us “Spamburgers”. You put Spam slices on one side of a hamburger bun, pineapple rings on the other side of the bun, run them under the broiler until hot and bubbly, then put together and enjoy. Delicious! My hubby likes them now. We have them often for lunch on Saturdays. I have lots of Spam and pineapple in my preps, but still working on a substitute for the hamburger buns!
Captain1 – at 16:41
Make SPAM/pineapple wraps. Instead of cutting the SPAM into patties, cut it into strips. Use well-drained crushed pineapple or pinapple tidbits in place of the pineapple rings. Use a tortilla in place of the bun. Just roll up … you can also dot with a little bit of brown sugar or BBQ sauce. Real easy to heat over a grill or to wrap in aluminum foil and heat right on coals.
Kathy at 18:03 - Sounds great - can’t wait to try it!
We have been able to get some dried Potato Soup from our local GFS store, Chop up one can of Spam add to soup and you have one gallon of REALLY GOOD potato soup. Of course it is always good fried with powdered eggs. A first rate prep item.
My dad was a “lifer” in the AF. (pilot) We lived all over the world. My parents packed tons of spam in a foot locker they always kept in the back of the car, with other emergency stuff. (Part of this included living in Europe during the Bay of Pigs crisis.) I have eaten so much spam in my life. I can’t bring myself to prep a single can of it!
One recipe I do like, very rarely, is a grated spam salad.
Spam, I`ve got that.
And, much of it is the singles. I found a bunch at local Safeway, on sale for $1/per. They had $.35 coupons on the packaging, which was doubled. I bought everyone there was for $.30 each. Cheap enough.
The name brand SPAM is way too salty for me ( on a very low-salt diet ) ; but I buy the Walmart brand of spam, and soak it in water about an hour , in slices, to get alot of the salt out. And it’s actually better then the name brand.
During the civil war in Chile in the early 70s SPAM was the only kind of meat available. I swore to never eat it again! The English use it a lot. They have a plate which my husband makes and I never eat, called corned beef hash. I dont have the recipe but if you google it, i’m sure you can get it.
I really do hope we need not go back to that! YUK
When I was a kid, my parents were always saving for a house so we couldn’t afford Spam. My budget-minded mom cooked us the less expensive Treet. I cannot stand canned meat; reminds me of being poor. Still I have stored a few cans for the pandemic because that is what it’s going to take to get me to eat that again.
Since so many of our calories will be derived from fairly bland foods such as pasta, rice, beans, and legumes, we have been experimenting with canned meats and fish to see which combinations taste good enough to eat regularly. In our household, we probably eat one can of the reduced fat Spam every month, so it was not hard for us to select it as a tried and true flavor enhancer. Dice it, fry it, and add it to beans and rice.
Sliced very thin, and fried very crisp, on light white toast with mayo. Yum! Spam is my prep for a bacon substitute. Wow, is it ever salty though!
Carrey in VA stands up with a bowed head and states shamefully “My name is Carrey, and I’ve never eaten spam”
Something about a slime covered hunk of meat in a can was revolting. But after this discussion I’m gonna buy a can and, GULP, try it. I can’t beleive I just said that!
LMFAO
whoops that was me
Carrey in VA – at 17:41
Just wash the hunk o’ meat under warm running water and then blot it dry with a paper towel.
My favorite Hawaiian spam dish
1 can of spam cut in match stick pieces 1 cup sticky rice cooked seamae seeds soy sauce Nori sheets
Marinate spam in soy. Fry in hot skillet Add more soy Take nori sheet Add rice and place spam down center sprinkle with sesame seeds Roll up like a california roll.
My kids loved these growing up and will eat spam anytime I make them.
I like spa, once a year fried with over easy eggs. Also diced up in beans, sauteed with cabbage, fried out of the can on soft white bread. With pineapple on the grill.
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