Show Section (3 Tuesday September 16 2002 Page 1 THe Herald Journal "±ur-- i-- J ‘ SPA1 s Vi gSs USTIN Minn — It’s not a product that lends itself to slogans SPAM — It’s what’s for dinner SPAM — The other pink meat?!? Yet SPAM lends itself to plenty of expressions People wince when they talk about the little bit of gelati- nous residue left in the can after the luncheon meat square is removed from the tin People seem to smile aslhey wax nostalgic about eating SPAM and eggs as a child And SPAM is wretchedly American — instantly recognizable a pioneering product in “fast food” and utilitarian in its uses Still for all of the ribbing the luncheon mean receives1 it’s heads and shoulders above any other similar product on die market Which brings us to the age-ol-d mystery: What in die devil is this pink brick made of? SPAM was the brainchild of Jay C Hormel the president of the budding pork producer in this small southern Minnesota town He noticed that the shoulder meat on a ham was going to waste The shoulder meat itself was decent quality but there was no practical use for it £ J J ' - ' ‘ " '’V? - v ? "7 -- ‘ j f rJ’! rt Inl937-®?ouide- SPAM is wretchedly 7 vf instantly recogniz- ®P'® 8 pioneering product in “fast food and utilitari- an in its uses u-- - y:: s '$¥': yi'- -i ' cybef-din- in Austin er (12-ounc- e) 1 12 cups pancake mix ‘ ‘ Heat oven to 37S°F Cut SPAM into 4 SRce equal squares (3 12 x squares horizontally into 16 (3 12 x slices Cut each slice crosswise in half to make 32 spears Place wooden toothpicks lengthwise into each spear In bowl combine pancake mix and Cajun seasoning gradually add mijk stirring until batter is smooth Dip each spear into batter and then roll in the coconut until lightly coated Place SPAM on a lightly sprayed baking sheet Bake 10 to 13 minutes turning halfway through baking 12-inc- 12-inc- h) : :W r Below the SPAM can SPAM 1 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 1 cup milk 112-- 2 cups shredded coconut Sweet & sour sauce for dipping xvs en X' meat was spiced canned and a decade later was known to many sol- dims who had eaten the meat while serving during AmenCSn — riy SPAM Fritters r- - top yzfcm second-generati- on Cajun Coconut x fV'A j J v (TxS&r1 Minn WorldWarn SPAM’s introduction wasiwt wildly successful at first —— Acceding to “SPAM: A Biography” by Carolyn Wyman the early predecessor of SPAM came in six pound cans and was sold at butcher shops and deli’s which Yet when put in sold die luncheon meat as trgfrigerator cases next to competitors similar products consumers could not tell the difference A Hormel team then set to work designing a can in which to package the luncheon meat so that it could be sold to the consumer according to Wyman The next goal was to find a product name for SPAM One of the early suggestions for the name was Brunch which was inspired by native Minnesotan Sinclair Lewis when he used the word “bruncheon” in his 1915 novel “The Trail of die Hawk” according to Wyman There proved to be just one small flaw in this idea that -- slicr-to-orde- 9 t f J ' lS ' ' ' 'J : 4 L--l i i v a- ! TJSv'-v- r i if 1"-’- ftl'f1 I - li”! ce r O See SPAM on C2 2LS V "rrV K ' - ' Overnight SPAM & 12 slices white bread crusts removed t 13-in- Bang Bang SPAM i 1 (12-oqnc- e) package wonton wrappers' 12 cup coconut milk ‘ 6 tablespoons chunky peanut better 14 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon cnished red pepper flakes 1 can SPAM diced ' 1 can water chestnuts drained and finely diced Sliced green onions for garnish Heat oven to 375F In miniature muffin pans press wonton wrappers to fit Bake 5 minutes or until edges begin to brown Combine coconut milk peanut butter brown sugar soy sauce and cnished red pepper flakes set aside In large skillet cook SPAM until Hghtly browned Add water chestnuts and peanut butter mixture Heat thoroughly Spoon mixture into prepared wonton wrappers Garnish with sliced green onions i (12-ounc- e) e) Photos and recipes courtesy of Hormel cubes (10-ounc- ' - Story by Darrell Edward Ehrlick Cut bread into small cubes Layer one-ha- lf bread broccoli SPAM and half of cheese In buttered 9 x baking dish Top with remaining bread cubes Beat together eggs milk onion and mustard Pour over bread Sprinkle top with remaining cheese Cover Refrigeiate overnight Heat oven to 325°F Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until eggs are set Serves 8 Serve with nice size slice of fruit (cantaloupe watermelon) and a beverage package frozen chopped broccoli thawed and drained 2 pups SPAM Luncheon Meat diced (1 12-o- z can) 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese divided 6 eggs beaten 2 cups milk 12 cup minced onion 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard 1 Broccoli Cheese Strata tsw 1 |