Teriyaki Spam & Pineapple

I recently saw this Teriyaki Spam and Pineapple recipe on a blog called Mochachocolata Rita. I had actually pinned it months ago. It looked and sounded incredibly tasty.

I like recipes such as this one which use a few very simple ingredients and that go together very quickly and easily!

For those of you who are not familiar with it, Spam is a type of lunch meat that comes in a can. Its made from pork and ham and is actually quite delicious. It was developed towards the end of the Great Depression as a viable and affordable source of protein and was used in WW2 to help feed the troops.

It was easy to transport.

It was not something we ever had when I was growing up. I am not sure why. As an adult I have come to enjoy it every now and then. It can be rather high in salt and fat, depending on the variety you choose to buy. I usually buy the one that is lower in fat and salt.

Actually there are 15 different varieties of it. I was really surprised to read that. I have only ever seen the regular one, the low fat low salt one and the bacon one.

It is an incredibly popular product in the Polynesian countries as well.

It also makes an incredibly great substitute for ham in a variety of recipes and ways. You can of course just slice it and have it in a sandwich, but there are a lot of other ways to enjoy it as well, which brings me to this tasty recipe I am sharing today!

When I first saw it on Pinterest I thought it looked delicious. I love Pineapple anything and I love Asian flavors. Sweet and Sour. Teriyaki. You name it. This has all of those flavors and more going for it.

The recipe itself was more than a little ambiguous, relying on the fact that whoever made it would know what they were doing. Thankfully I am a fairly experienced cook and so I took note of exactly what I did so that I can share a clearly written and concise recipe with you all should you desire to make it for yourself also!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TERIYAKI SPAM AND PINEAPPLE

Very simple ingredients. It does use fresh pineapple, but you could probably also use tinned pineapple chunks in a pinch if you wanted to. I loved it with the fresh!

1 can of Spam luncheon meat (340g/12 ounces)
1/2 a pineapple, skinned, cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
1 TBS light olive oil
3 TBS prepared Teriyaki sauce
Steamed rice to serve

I use the Spam with less sodium and fat. It is fairly lean to be honest. I like it. You can use whatever one that you wish to use.

I did not buy a whole pineapple to use in this. Here you can buy fresh pineapple already peeled and cored, and either cut into chunks or spears. This seemed to be a lot easier for me and one container of the chunks was just enough for the recipe. It was about 1 1/2 cups.

The rest of the ingredients are fairly explanatory. I used a good bottled teriyaki sauce. I think the brand is Teriyaki Experience. It was thick and not runny, and had a lovely flavor.

HOW TO MAKE TERIYAKI SPAM AND PINEAPPLE

This really was very simple to make. It went together quickly and cooked up beautifully with lots of gilded sticky crispy edges.

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with some nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the spam from the can and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Pop them into a bowl with the pineapple and the onion slices.

Whisk together the garlic, brown sugar, teriyaki sauce, and oil to combine. Pour this over the ingredients in the bowl and toss together to combine and coat evenly.

Spread the contents of the bowl out on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Give the pan a good stir and then bake for a further 8 - 10 minutes until the Spam pieces are nicely crisped and the pineapple and onion are caramelizing.

Serve hot with bowls of steamed rice.

I took the lazy route and used a package of pre-cooked basmati rice. Mine was the coconut flavor. As a person who lives on their own it is much more practical for me to use these precooked pouches. If I had a family here, or was cooking for a larger group I would cook rice from scratch.

I also don't know how to use chop sticks, but they look nice in the photograph! I just have never been able to master the art of using them!

This was super delicious. A bit salty. A bit sweet. A bit tangy. I loved the flavors. I could have easily made a pig of myself! I highly recommend!

I found myself wondering how it would have been with the onion cut into larger chunks and some colored peppers added. I am going to try that next time. I am sure it would be delicious and the colors would be beautiful!

Here are some other recipes in my kitchen using Spam that you might also enjoy!

CURRIED SPAM FRIED RICE - This is a delicious store cupboard meal. Cheap and cheerful and really delicious. You can add whatever vegetables to the rice that you enjoy. It goes together quickly and makes for a really tasty, quick and easy supper!

SPAM FRITTERS - Thick slices of Spam, dipped in batter and fried until crisp and golden brown. Don't knock them until you try them. These are fabulously tasty. In the UK you can buy them ready made in some of the shops. They are very easy to make at home however. They are also a school dinner favorite!

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner