Throw Some Spam On The Grill

Grilling is a fairly straightforward cooking method—you put the food over hot coals or literal fire, and you leave it there to cook—and yet people still find ways to make it very complicated (though, admittedly, delicious). But you know what’s not complicated and still very delicious? Spam.

I’m all about ease these days—even more so than usual—and Spam slips so easily into this lifestyle. It doesn’t need seasoning and it does really well with high heat.

Even burnt or charred spam is delicious, so there’s no need to baby it or watch it closely. You can grill planks for sandwiches or cube it and stick it on skewers with vegetables or fruit. My absolute favourite pairing is grilled Spam with grilled pineapple, but jalapeños and onions are also stellar Spam companions. Come to think of it, there really isn’t a vegetable that wouldn’t be improved by the presence of some salty, processed meat.

The heat of grilling Spam will render out some of the fat, creating golden crispy spots of porky goodness. This happens fairly quickly (especially if you are used to smoked meat timelines), so it’s best to slice thinly whatever plant parts you plan to skewer with your Spam. (You can also use pickled or marinated vegetables, which don’t require as much heat to soften.) Throw the skewers over a hot grill and rotate them every couple of minutes until your Spam turns a nice golden colour, with a few charred spots for good measure. Let cool for a minute before enjoying, and then wonder why you don’t do this every single season.