One Simple Mistake Is Preventing Your Spam From Getting Crispy - Tasting Table

"Spam has a variety of creative uses whether you're preparing breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a simple snack. There are several different methods to prepare this already fully cooked canned pork shoulder/ham combination, but pan-frying is among the most common. If you really want to crisp up your Spam in the frying pan, one of the most important mistakes to avoid is overcrowding."

"Much like how overcrowding your pans ruins your cuts of meat, so too does this go for this canned and processed pork product. Spacing out your Spam gives it room to properly warm inside and out without steaming and getting soggy. This additional space also allows the Maillard reaction to take place, which is the process by which foods brown and cook properly."

"No matter whether you're making a batch of Hawaiian Spam musubi, a savory breakfast hash, or a bulked-up stir-fry dinner, it's imperative to avoid a sloppy Spam mess. Cooking Spam in a few batches first will get it nice and crispy, allowing you to add it to any number of your favorite dishes. All it takes is a little bit of patience and culinary creativity."

Pan-frying is a common method to prepare fully cooked canned Spam, but overcrowding the pan prevents proper browning and creates soggy results. Spacing Spam pieces allows even warming and enables the Maillard reaction, which produces desirable browning and flavor. Cooking Spam in batches yields crispier pieces suitable for musubi, breakfast hashes, stir-fries, and other dishes. The hot pan used to crisp Spam can be reused to sauté vegetables for added nutrition, and crisped Spam can be combined with alternatives like cauliflower rice. Spam offers umami and affordability but contains high sodium and fat, so consume it sparingly.

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