The second dish on Vrghr's culinary vacation to Hawaii!

Spam or similar "luncheon meat" (Treet, Tulip, Etc.) is iconic on the islands. It finds its way into all sorts of dishes. In addition to the Musubi wuff offered, Spam Fried Rice is another very popular dish.

This Musubi is particularly easy to prepare. You can substitute your favorite store-bought teriyaki sauce (wuff's favorite is Mr. Yashida's brand) if you don't want to make the sauce wuff featured below. You can use leftover take-out rice; just make sure it's nice and sticky so it clings together well. You can wrap the nori (seaweed) wide, as wuff did, or in a narrow strip, or cover the block end to end.

Though Vrghr used specifically-designed "Musubi Press" tools to press out the little loafs of rice (will link to a couple below), you can also just cut the top and bottom out of the tin that the Spam came in. Fill it with a little of the rice, and use the slice of fried spam on top as a lid to press the rice out the bottom. Just be careful of the sharp edges of the can. A bit 'ghetto' in execution, but has the advantage of being FREE!

You can get specially designed "Luncheon Meat Slicers", or just cut your spam by hand.

Any way you make these, they'll go together quick and easy!

These make great snacks or a light meal. Can be served cool or warm. And the teriyaki-fried spam has a considerably different flavor from just searing it by itself.

Give it a try! You might be surprised at how well you like the result!

Musubi Presses:
https://www.amazon.com/IBK-Japan-SY...../dp/B01LAVK1K6
https://www.amazon.com/Musubi-gabo-...../dp/B01LZMBBAX

Luncheon Meat Slicer:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GHF9L9C/

Ingredients:
Spam, sliced about 1/4 inch thick (or to your own preference) (1 slice per Musubi)
Short Grain (sushi type) Rice (the shorter grain rice is stickier; makes the blocks hold together better) (about 1/3-1/2 C per Musubi)
2 TBS Rice Vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned - your preference)
Nori (sushi wrapping seaweed)

1-2 TBS Cooking oil

Teriyaki sauce (or use the sauce below)

For the Sauce:
1/4 C Soy Sauce
2 TBS Sweet Soy Sauce
2 TBS Oyster Sauce
1 TBS Mirin
2 tsp Sugar or Honey
1 tsp Sriracha Sauce
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste

Directions:
Prepare the rice according to package directions. When cooked, sprinkle with the rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned) and toss or stir with paddle to combine and distribute vinegar

Add all sauce ingredients to a small sauce pan or microwave-safe bowl. Heat until just simmering and whisk together to combine. Allow to cool to room temperature

Slice the Spam (or Tulip, Treet, etc., luncheon meat) across the long way into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Add to the teriyaki sauce and allow to marinade about 10-15 minutes

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. You don't want the oil to get too hot, as the sugars in the sauce can burn, but you want it hot enough to fry the meat

Carefully add the marinated Spam slices and fry until browned and crispy around the edges. Carefully flip over and fry the other side. Remove from skillet and brush with more of the sauce

Slice the Nori sheets long-way into strips of your preferred width

Using a Musubi press, or the luncheon meat can with the top and bottom cut out, add a portion (about 1/3 C, or more or less to your preferences) of the rice and press it down into a rice 'loaf'. If using the can, add the slice of fried spam on top and use that as the press

Place a slice of the teriyaki-coated Spam on top of the block of rice (if desired, brush a little of the sauce on top of the rice first)

Center the strip of Nori, shiny side up, on top of the meat. Wrap the ends of the nori under the block of rice and secure the ends together. If necessary, moisten the end of the nori with a little water to seal the edges to each other

!DEVOUR!