Spam Fried Rice

Some time ago I decided to come up with a recipe known as the Spam burger. To say the least, it was amazing, and it was my first real attempt at having Spam. Yes, I am now 40 and have never had Spam prior to that burger. Say what you will. There was something truly special that I enjoyed about the Spam. Maybe it was a bit of comfort when I indulged on this burger, maybe it was the texture, or the saltiness that I was craving. Not sure what it was, but I knew that I had some leftover Spam that I was not going to let go to waste.

So as I sat there hiding the can of Spam from my kids (after all, if I did show them this, and they knew what it looked and smelled like and realized that it was going to be in dinner the following day, I would have lost my fighting cause), I knew exactly what I was going to make; Spam fried rice.

Ingredients: [Print this Recipe]

• 4 cups of day old cooked rice
• 1/2 tsp canola oil
• 1 cup of Spam, cut into small cubes
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup of frozen peas
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

Begin by heating a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add the oil, and toss in the garlic, cooking and stirring until fragrant. Next, add in the Spam. Give a good stir, and cook for a few minutes. You want to build a nice crust on the Spam.

Add in the butter, and let that begin to melt. This will not only add great flavor to the rice, and I think is a secret weapon when it comes to making any good fried rice, and it also crisps up the rice.

Add in the eggs, and let them cook, stirring and breaking it up as it cooks. As the butter melts and the egg cooks, add in the rice, breaking it up with your wooden spoon. Flip, toss, stir. Everything will go quickly here, almost like a stir fry. High heat, and lots of tossing and stirring. Add in the peas, soy sauce and cracked black pepper, and repeat with that tossing and stirring. Your goal is to not make a mess, and perfect the toss and stir. Keep that in mind.

When the rice becomes a bit crispy and everything is looking awesome, give it a taste. Season with any additional soy, salt, or pepper. Heck, maybe add some chili flakes, it’s up to you.

When you are ready to serve, scoop the Spam fried rice into a serving bowl and dig in.

When I served the rice, I cautiously take notice of the reaction from the kids. I knew right away when they saw the peas that they thought the fried rice would be ‘horrible’, but when they scooped big portions onto their plates, and began flipping peas to the side (yes, they did that), they did not hesitate when it came to the Spam. When my kids questioned what it was, I simply said it was ‘Deliciousness’. I’ll leave it at that. Everything about this Spam fried recipe was deliciousness. I’m sold.