Pineapple Spam Skewers with a Ginger Soy Glaze

Most people find spam unpalatable, or at least believe they do.  Granted, the look of that gelatinous compressed mold of meat product right out of can certainly turns my stomach.  However, what you do with that meat loaf after it oozes out of the can makes a world of difference.

I moved from the country's largest consumer of spam, where during emergencies you were limited to one pallet of the stuff at the store; to the country's number one producer, where a museum was erected to its gelatinous pink awesomeness.  I will never escape it.  Time to attempt embracing it.

Last year at our mid-winter luau, I subjected our guests to spam musubi.  They graciously left the lion's share for us to consume for days to come.  It was not a hit.

So this year in an attempt appeal to those beyond the few adventurous eaters, I turned to the classic culinary trick of pairing salty with sweet.  Pineapple was alternated with chunks of spam and brushed with a quick glaze.  After a pass under the broiler, the caramelized, salty sweet treats were ready to go.  Nothing was left of the spam this year.

the recipe is my own

serves 16

The Ingredients:
1 - 12 oz can of Spam
1 fresh pineapple
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 heaping Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
16 bamboo skewers

The Process:
Soak the bamboo skewers as you prep the other ingredients.

Remove the spam from the container, keeping the loaf intact.  Slice in half crosswise.  Cut each half in half again, this time diagonally.  Repeat, creating eight long triangles.  Lay each triangle on its side and slice into four wedges of equal thickness, yielding 32 pieces.

Remove the crown and bottom of the pineapple.  Remove the skin.  Cut the pineapple lengthwise into 8 equal wedges.  Slice the core away from each wedge, and slice the flesh into segments approximately 1-inch thick.  Reserve 48 pieces.

Preheat the broiler.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger until the sugar has dissolved.

Thread 3 pieces of pineapple and 2 pieces of spam onto each skewer, alternating between the two.  Brush each skewer generously with the soy glaze.  Broil 2-3 inches from the heat for five minutes on each side or until the pineapple and spam have begun to caramelize.  Remove the skewers to a serving platter and brush with any remaining glaze.

Serve warm or room temperature.