Spam, Spam, Spam
Just a Pinch Recipe Club, Chef Andy Anderson, United States.
This comes from a good friend, and chef, and this is easy to make and so much better tasting than the canned spam. Ingredients are listed in two groups, for those in Asia, and for those in the US, instructions are the same for either set of ingredient. (Morton Tender Cure and Lobo NS-Mix are two separate items, their use will be clarified in the ingredients and instructions.)
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Passive Time 1 day d
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Meat Grinder , plus a Medium plate (5 mm holes).
2 Loaf Pan (5x9 inch) , one is used for baking, the other is used as a weight after baking.
Parchment Paper
Foil
Baking Sheet
2 20 oz / 565 g canned goods , used for weights after baking.
Oven
Instant Read Thermometer
For those in Asia using Lobo brand NS-Mix Curing Salt
- 1.15 kilo pork shoulder, (2½ lb)
- 226 grams smoked ham, (8 oz)
- 4½ teaspoons NS-Mix Curing Salt, (Lobo brand)
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1½ tablespoons corn starch
- ½ cup ice cold water
For those in the US using Morton brand Tender Quick Curing Salt
- 2½ lb pork shoulder, (1.15 kilo)
- 8 oz smoked ham, (226 grams)
- 2 teaspoons Tender Quick, (Morton brand)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, (fine grind)
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1½ tablespoons corn starch
- ½ cup ice cold water
Set up your meat grinder, use a Medium plate with 5mm holes. Preheat your oven to 120° C (250° F). Line one loaf pan with parchment paper. Line the baking sheet with foil, make sure the edges are raised all around the sheet - this is to catch any fat that could run out of the pan while baking. Cut the pork shoulder and smoked ham into cubes that will fit in your grinder hopper.
Run the cubed meat through the grinder into a mixing bowl.
For Asia using NS-Mix: add the NS-Mix, sugar, and corn starch to a small bowl, then add the ice cold water. Mix together well.For US using Tender Cure: add the Tender Cure, salt, sugar, and corn starch to a small bowl, then add the ice cold water. Mix together well. Add the water mixture to the ground meat and use your hands to mix thoroughly. Mixture will like a thick paste.
Pack the parchment line loaf pan with the meat mixture.
Cover with tightly with foil. Place the foil covered sheet in the oven then place the loaf pan on the sheet. Bake for 2 to 2½ hours, start checking with the instant read thermometer at the 2 hour mark, internal target temp is 68° C (155° F).
When the spam loaf has reached the target temp, remove from the oven place on a heatproof plate, and if oozing some fat, place some folded paper towels on the plate first.
Place the second loaf pan (I use Pyrex) on top of the Spam loaf pan, and place canned goods in the pan for additional weight (two 20 oz / 565 g, works perfect). Let the Spam loaf pan cool to room temp.Once cooled, place everything in the fridge (the Spam loaf pan, the top pan, and the canned goods), to set overnight. The next day, remove the Spam loaf from the fridge. Remove the foil, and now you have Spam. Run a butter knife around the sides and invert the pan onto a plate. Use for any recipe calling for Spam. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
This is an end piece sliced off for the taste test, and for those that like the jelly, this makes that too! Appearance wise, it looks exactly like sliced canned Spam. Taste wise, this is many times better than the canned stuff!
And another view of how this looks.
Lower cost than canned Spam in Thailand, and this makes 2 to 2½ of the big cans of Spam.
340 g (12 oz) equals 1 regular size can of Spam.
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