Spam Musubi スパムむすび
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Additional Time
40 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
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Servings
6 musubi
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Calories
214 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Hawaiian-Japanese Fusion
Spam Musubi スパムむすび
Description
Spam Musubi スパムむすび features cooked short-grain rice blended with toasted sesame seeds, shaped firmly using a recycled Spam can, making it compact and easy to hold. The Spam, sliced lengthwise into even pieces, is browned in vegetable oil to render fat and develop a caramelized crust. Afterwards, it is coated with a thickened sauce made from soy sauce, sake, rice vinegar, sugar, and potato starch, which adds a glossy glaze that enhances the savory-spicy balance. Each musubi is wrapped in a nori sheet strip to keep everything together and add a mild seaweed flavor.
The firm rice block paired with the boldly flavored, sauced Spam offers pleasing contrast in texture and taste. The versatile portion size makes it suitable as a snack or light meal. This musubi can be prepared ahead and stored for portable lunches or picnic foods.
Using a small Spam tin as a mold ensures a consistent shape and compactness, while rinsing the can insures food safety and ease of handling. The recipe suggests using short-grain Japonica rice for its sticky properties to prevent the musubi from crumbling. The glazing step with sauce reduces greasiness and adds depth. Variations can include furikake seasoning and tofu substitutions, making it adaptable to different tastes.
Ingredients
Spam Musubi
- 1.5 cup/310g rice 1, uncooked
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds 2, toasted
- 1 nori sheet seaweed
- 1 can SPAM 3, small, 7oz (200g
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
Spam Sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake *4
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar *5
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp potato starch 6, aka katakuriko
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Cook rice according to your rice cooker instruction or see the recipe *7
- When the rice been cooked, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds into the rice and combine them.
- Cut the nori sheet into 6 strips and set aside.
- Open the spam tin and carefully wash the empty tin for later use.
- Slice the spam ham into 6 slices of even thickness, lengthwise.
- Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the sliced Spam. Cook and brown one side for about 2-3 min.
- Flip them all and cook and brown thoroughly for another 2-3 min. *8
- Turn the heat off and transfer the spam slices on to a kitchen paper lined plate. Set aside.
- Clean and remove all the oil left in the frying pan and add all sauce ingredients into the pan over low heat.
- Stir continuously and when the sauce is thickened, put the Spam slices back into the frying pan and coat the spam with the sauce. Turn the heat off.
- Line the washed spam tin with cling wrap and put 1/6 of the cooked rice into the tin.
- Press the rice down with a Japanese pestle or with your hand.
- Remove the pressed rice with cling wrap by pulling out the end of cling wrap.
- Open up the cling wrap. Top with a fried spam. *9
- Place the nori strip over on the centre of the spam and wrap over the spam and rice ball (musubi).
- Tack both ends of nori strip under the Spam musubi.
Notes
- Use short-grain Japonica rice for sticky texture that holds shape well.
- The cleaned Spam tin acts as an ideal mold for pressing the rice into compact blocks.
- Rendering fat from Spam slices over medium heat helps achieve a balanced crispness without excess grease.
- The thickened soy-based sauce coats the Spam to add flavor and reduce greasiness.
- Furikake rice seasoning may be sprinkled on the rice as an alternative to sesame seeds.
- Sake and rice vinegar in the sauce can be substituted with Chinese wine or dry sherry, and white wine or balsamic vinegar respectively.
- Potato starch in the sauce can be replaced by cornstarch for thickening.
- Tofu of similar thickness can substitute Spam for a vegetarian option by cutting around the mold.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6musubi
Amount Per Serving
Calories 214 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 214kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 40mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 968mg | 40% |
| Potassium | 251mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 22IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 13mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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