My granddaughter is a huge fan of Spam Musubi. It's not very healthy, but as a grandmother... I hope I'll be forgiven for indulging her island craving. I got the recipe from Food Network.
The recipe called for:
5 cups cooked sushi rice, room temperature
5 sheets nori, cut lengthwise
1 (12 oz.) can Spam
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 Tbsp. mirin
4 Tbsp. sugar
Furikake, to taste
I cut the Spam into 10 thin slices. They even sell Spam cutters in Hawaii that will do this for you. I just cut it with my knife. It wasn't perfect, but I didn't think KC would notice.
I put the soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a pan and cooked it until it was bubbling and getting a little thick. Then I added the Spam.
I did get this little Spam Musubi maker at Walmart for about $5.
Everybody has a different way of making Spam Musubi.
I opted to add the furikake (bonito flavored flakes and I don't know what else is in it) into the rice before hand. Some people put it only around the Spam.
Anyway...
I put the nori down first and placed the musubi maker on top. The rice was patted down, then the Spam and then more rice. Everything is patted down and the nori is wrapped around the whole thing.
I made the mistake of not pressing it together firmly enough the first few times. It started falling apart, but I got the hang of it after a while.
I'm a slow learner.
OK... You can see I didn't get it perfect. I ran out of rice and wasn't able to make the last piece of Spam into a musubi.
It was OK...
However, KC loved it and that's what counts. (Or was she just being nice so my feelings wouldn't be hurt.)
POSTSCRIPT: We were at the new Shirokiya Food Court recently and saw this booth that specialized in Spam musubi. Very impressive.
The recipe called for:
5 cups cooked sushi rice, room temperature
5 sheets nori, cut lengthwise
1 (12 oz.) can Spam
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 Tbsp. mirin
4 Tbsp. sugar
Furikake, to taste
I cut the Spam into 10 thin slices. They even sell Spam cutters in Hawaii that will do this for you. I just cut it with my knife. It wasn't perfect, but I didn't think KC would notice.
I put the soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a pan and cooked it until it was bubbling and getting a little thick. Then I added the Spam.
I did get this little Spam Musubi maker at Walmart for about $5.
Everybody has a different way of making Spam Musubi.
I opted to add the furikake (bonito flavored flakes and I don't know what else is in it) into the rice before hand. Some people put it only around the Spam.
Anyway...
I put the nori down first and placed the musubi maker on top. The rice was patted down, then the Spam and then more rice. Everything is patted down and the nori is wrapped around the whole thing.
I made the mistake of not pressing it together firmly enough the first few times. It started falling apart, but I got the hang of it after a while.
I'm a slow learner.
OK... You can see I didn't get it perfect. I ran out of rice and wasn't able to make the last piece of Spam into a musubi.
It was OK...
However, KC loved it and that's what counts. (Or was she just being nice so my feelings wouldn't be hurt.)
POSTSCRIPT: We were at the new Shirokiya Food Court recently and saw this booth that specialized in Spam musubi. Very impressive.
I'll just have to take your word on this one, Kay. You sure won't be getting me to ever eat Spam again in this lifetime! :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't thin she would eat it if she didn't like it. Me, I like Spam, but it doesn't like me.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that Spam was very popular in Hawaii. Now I'm convinced. I'm from the home of Spam -- Austin, Minnesota. Right there where the original Hormel plant is located. I grew up on Spam. Only things my father knew how to cook were fried spam and fried eggs. I can't even tell you how many different ways I've eaten Spam in my life. However, I must admit I have not made it in probably 20 years. I might just like what you've made. Fun reading this.
ReplyDeleteyou did a great job and more importantly, you made someone you love something she loves. she will always remember that you made this for her. i don't know tht i've ever eaten spam but i think it must be like german leberkase?
ReplyDeleteGood job, Kay! I just make mine by hand - starting off like a regular musubi, compressing the rice (I stick an ume piece in the middle) and then compressing more and forming into a rectangle of rice. Then I just lay the slice of spam (cooked in smashed ginger, brown sugar and shoyu with a dash of water) on the rectangle and wrap with a sheet of nori. Easier than putting the spam in the middle of rice - but you did well making the difficult kind of spam musubi!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a spam eater so I won't try your recipe. But it looks like you did a good job to me.
ReplyDeleteNot till I read your post did I know what you were talking about. No spam served here. I think its popular in China or so my daughter said when she was working there 5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteUm, ok. I'm glad KC liked it. that's all that matters, isn't it.
ReplyDeletethese look good!
ReplyDeleteI have read that Spam is very popular in Hawaii because during the war it was very often the only meat that was available. Is that correct? Anyway, I would eat anything you would ever make, dear Kay! And I am glad you made KC what she wanted!
ReplyDeleteat first I wasn't going to read this post on spam. Once I got into it I found it interesting and maybe I'll have to try this.
ReplyDeleteIt might be naughty but it's yummy... A fun treat on occasion. What a nice tutu you are.
ReplyDeleteI never had the meat ever in life. I'm not sure if Daisy has, I know I've never gotten it for her.
ReplyDeletesomething I've never heard of though as a young child I remember spam-they still sell it in the stores here.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a household where Spam was absolutely banned by my father (who had bad experiences in the army I guess) My mother once served it to us kids once when he was not around and we were all convinced that Dad was right.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother used to make fried spam for us when we were kids and we loved it.... Now..not so much
ReplyDeleteI'll bet KC likes yours best.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to know Hawaii is keeping Spam in business. It sounds like a delicacy there. We ate it when we were poor. I once opened a can of Spam and opened a can of pinto beans. Fried the Spam and heated the beans and fed this to my children. My son looked up at me with adoring eyes and said, "Mommy you are the best cook in the whole world."
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know there was such a thing as Spam musubi.
ReplyDeleteI don't eat spam
HAHAHAHA, too funny. I didn't think there was any corner of the world that hadn't tried spam, its so decadent but tastes sooooo good :)
ReplyDeleteBravo, kay! a spam musubi is not expensive, (they probably run $1.75 at most convenience stores here in Hawaii) and they are so easy to make its a shame to spend money when you don't have to... although, its convenient when you are on the road and hungry. Since going vegan (ish... I AM Japanese, after all, so can't get away from some fish now and then), I haven't had any spam, but it smells heavenly in a spam-musubi and I'll always hanker for one. The katsu spam musubi at 7-11 is really good, they smother it with a very sweet sauce and its just the very best way to give a spare tire a home :(
A strange one is one of those red hotdogs (they are flavored slightly differently) with a bit of takuan (preserved turnip) in it.... in sushi flavored rice, which is not normally seen in traditional spam-musubi. Sounds strange, but try it! unbelievable taste... you'll go head over heels for it, if you like sushi.
your cousin,
walt
I repeat: clever, creative!
ReplyDelete