November 18, 2008 | Short Order
        A Spam revival? Yes, the Times reports. The Hormel factory in Minnesota is working two shifts a day, seven days a week because that slick, gelatinous, oozy 12-ounce hunk of spiced pork (and “mechanically separated chicken,” according to the label), can be stretched to feed six for $2.40. Actually, it was $2.99 for the “Crazy Tasty Spam Lite” I picked up at Fairway. That 110-calorie portion with just 8 grams of fat struck me as skimpy – two ounces hardly  substitutes for our good-times rack of lamb. But a little Spam goes a long way. I could’ve tried Spam Quesadillas
 
 Having a revival?
from the recipe on the back: Spam, flour tortillas, diced Monterey Jack and guacamole with salsa on top, but I didn‘t want to compromise that heartfelt “Lite.”

      I decided to try it at breakfast. I peeled back the lid – whoosh, the smell. I felt so sickly, I had to sit down. Maybe breakfast wasn’t a good idea. Maybe I am too vulnerable until I’ve had two mugs of Italian coffee. The sticky rectangle was stuck in the can. Was this normal? I loosened it all around with a sharp knife and cut off a slice, an ounce I thought. No need to go whole hog. I thought about sautéing it in my scrambled-egg-white-skillet and pouring the whites on top, but it seemed neater to broil it till caramelized in the toaster oven. It emerged with a few toasty brown bubbles and no scary smell at all, looking almost Canadian baconish. I cut it into cubes and dropped them into the creamy wet egg white scramble with clots of no-fat cream cheese that was just starting to firm in the frying pan. Quickly, I turned the eggs out and tasted. What a shock. I liked it.

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      But I hit resistence when I asked a few chefs and friends who like to cook for recipes or ideas. The deluge of brilliance I expected was a mere dribble. Chef Franklin Becker, most recently at the now defunct Sheridan Square was inspired. He suggested: Spam with pineapple-soy glaze, roasted sweet potatoes and Napa cabbage. "Spam-in-a-blanket" with Gruyere cheese and Kosciusko's Polish mustard. Panko-Crusted Spam Tonkatsu. Grilled Spam with celery root-green apple puree and roasted Brussels sprouts.

 

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        Jason Spiro, Insatiable Critic’s tek man and a professional cook, could not recall ever tasting Spam, “but I know it bears a vague resemblance to ham.” He sent: "Spam Two Ways: Braised and in a Salad."

      1. Braised Spam slices: sear the Spam, then braise using beef bouillon cubes dissolved in water with a few thyme sprigs and carrot batons. Reduce braising liquid for sauce, and if you wish, thicken with a little corn starch or xanthan gum.
      2. Spam Salad: Use a small portion of bagged mesclun mix, chopped, (or even chopped lettuce is mesclun is too expensive) with diced or sliced tomato. Top with julienned candied yam and Spam. Dress with a lemony vinaigrette. If thyme sprigs make this dish cost prohibitive, substitute dried thyme and strain the sauce.
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      Betsy, an American friend who lives in Paris, frustrated that she didn’t have a can of Spam to experiment, suggested using Spam instead of sausage meat to stuff tomatoes: some cooked rice, some garlic, chopped parsley – about 50% in ratio to Spam – in a hollowed out tomato. Drizzle olive oil on top and bake. She also proposed that finely chopped Spam, mixed with chopped hard-boiled eggs and lots of sautéed onion, could be Gentile chopped liver, adding: Rabbits raised by your children in the bathroom could be economical too.
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     “Ugh, bherk, yuk, you must be joking,” emailed the fastidious Karine. “Might as well serve dog food. They might as well eat a stick of butter with a cup of salt. If people need to economize, let them eat sardines.”




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