Oh, sure. We always butchered in the fall, so they were a seasonal treat. Required some pretty severe cleaning. And, hot, crunchy cracklins, as Mom rendered the lard.

a capella on May 29, 2008 at 2:55 PM

Lucky. Freshly fried pork rinds is about as close as I can get.

I disagree. Food prices are going up. I shop at the Oceana comissary weekly (or about 3-4x a month), and buy the same 40 or so items each time. Things are going up. The apples I bought are about $1.00 more this month than they were last month.

apples are out of season….

You would have a better chance of seeing me eat cream of chipped beef on a biscuit than eating SPAM. I saw it once and it made me nauseas looking at it.

Del Dolemonte on May 29, 2008 at 3:13 PM

Thanks. Thawing our a 3lb roast in the refrig as we speak.

It is good with Oreos.

Limerick on May 29, 2008 at 9:37 AM

Fig Newtons!

It is good with Oreos.

Limerick on May 29, 2008 at 9:37 AM

Better with Fig Newtons!

Hawaii has the highest consumption rate oddly enough. Saw a vid a few years back of Todd Rundgren on a cooking show there whipping up a nice Spam Rissotto.

bbz123 on May 29, 2008 at 10:17 AM

The reason Spam has a high consumption rate in the 50th state is because the people there fell in love with it during World War 2, when fresh meat was scarce there.

As for the pork butt idea, the folks in Hawaii have some great recipes for taking a pork butt and putting it in a slow cooker. It comes out tasting just like the “Kalua pig” you get at a Hawaiian luau. One of the secrets to said recipe is liquid smoke, but be careful with it.

Here’s the basic recipe-I usually add a bit of apple cider as well:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kalua-Pig-in-a-Slow-Cooker/Detail.aspx

This recipe calls for cooking it 16 to 20 hours-I have done it in half the time but it no doubt has a much better taste the longer you do it.

I don’t care if Spam is floor sweepings, scrapple is the crap they scrape off the machinery.

Y’all say that like it’s a bad thing!

Seriously, Spam is not floor sweepings/machine scrapings. The rest of those ‘meat’ products pretty much are just that.

No worries (to borrow a phrase from our good friends down under).
They’re really clean floors/machines.

Many times she said all they had to eat was some sort of gravy made from flour, the only thing they had in the house.

You must be talking about milk gravy, pepper gravy, or, in the worst of times, water gravy.

My favorite Spam recipe – slice it up thin, dip it in egg, roll it in Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and fry it up. From what I remember Spam works well when ground up with pickles, too.

People can save a ton of money by shopping smart. My wife stumbled onto some coupon program, and is going to town. We’ve had to clear out part of our basement and buy a freezer because she’s stalking up on so many deals, it’s insane. I was skeptical at first, but it’s utterly amazing.

I agree with some previous commenters that you can get fresh meat for so much cheaper and a slow cooker will turn any cut of meat edible.

Those Chamorros work pure gastronomic miracles with that little can of meat.

Anybody here ever eaten chitlins?

abcurtis on May 29, 2008 at 2:26 PM

Oh, sure. We always butchered in the fall, so they were a seasonal treat. Required some pretty severe cleaning. And, hot, crunchy cracklins, as Mom rendered the lard.

It has always seemed a bit strange to me how rational people can look down their nose (or hold their nose) at the mention of Spam, Treet, potted meat, Vienna sausage, etc., all the while happily munching down their hot dogs and bologna sandwiches. Cognitive dissonance at its finest.

hillbillyjim on May 29, 2008 at 1:14 PM

I don’t eat hot dogs OR Bologna either. If I want cast-off butchery trimmings I can get those at my local Federal Meats for free.

As I noted in my post here, You can get a POUND of 80% lean fresh-ground-in-the-store ground beef for LESS than you pay for a 12 ounce tin of SPAM.

And don’t whine at me about “costs of keeping it frozen.” How many of you have a Fridge with NO freezer, or a freezer that you turn off at any time? I’m betting NONE. So the damn thing is running ANYWAY whether you buy SPAM or fresh meat. Better to buy HEALTHY fresh meat and use that empty freezer space than fill up your shelves with gross fatty, salty, nitrate-filled cast-offs.

SPAM is disgusting. End of argument, end of discussion, end of thread. Now go buy some fresh meat.

I don’t care if Spam is floor sweepings, scrapple is the crap they scrape off the machinery.

That’s what makes it so good, and good for you. Anybody here ever eaten chitlins?

Scrapple fried in lots of butter served with maple syrup. The breakfast of the gods.

albo on May 29, 2008 at 10:05 AM

With a couple of easy-over eggs, grits on the side and hot biscuits.

Several years ago I was in Austria and we stopped in what I guess was the local version of a IHOP. Going over the english part of the menu I spotted “meatloaf and potatoes”. A little taste of something from home had me excited and drooling so you can imagine my disappointment when they brought me a plate with a large slab of Treet and french fries.

Something must have gotten lost in that translation…or it was just a crappy place to eat.

Can’t eat that stuff anymore! But the advice on buy bulk + freeze is right on. I grill once a week and ziploc or freeze, and also braise and slow-cook the “cuts with character.”

Crock Pot carnitas, anyone?

funky chicken on May 29, 2008 at 10:27 AM

I disagree. Food prices are going up. I shop at the Oceana comissary weekly (or about 3-4x a month), and buy the same 40 or so items each time. Things are going up. The apples I bought are about $1.00 more this month than they were last month. Yeah, it doesn’t seem like much, but it adds up pretty quick, especially with the gas I use to drive there. It used to be that we could buy stuff elsewhere and closer to home, but the prices have gone up enough that we stick to the comissary (even if the quality of the produce leaves a lot to be desired).

I do agree that if you’re going cheap, don’t buy canned ham. Growing up, we used to eat Hamburger Helper a lot, and my mother would never use the full pound of meat, and would add veggies. Circulars and coupons can be useful, unless you have to buy 5 of something to save $.30. Although, I might hunt in the car for some change to buy some Spam when I go get milk today… this thread is giving me a craving for it!