Cooking Spam In Oil Is An Unnecessary Cooking Disaster

Spam — it's one of the food world's most polarizing items, eliciting strong reactions from lovers and haters alike. The canned meat is relatively easy to prepare in a variety of versatile dishes, but many people still make one major mistake when cooking it.

That's cooking Spam in oil, which can be as messy and dangerous as it is needless. Spam is an already-cooked blend of pork, water, spices, and finely integrated fat. When fat close to the surface of the Spam is heated up in a pan, it melts and helps cook and crisp the exterior. This means there's no need to add extra oil or fats, which would not only waste valuable ingredients (and your grocery money) but leave the already-fatty product unpleasantly greasy.

Cooking Spam in oil can also lead to lots of splattering. In the best case, this still means lots of cleanup for you, while in the worst case, it can lead to a serious grease fire.

To cook the Spam, all you have to do is slice up the meat and cook it in a skillet on the stove. You can also bake Spam if you prefer. Since Spam is pre-cooked, you can cook it until your desired crispiness. Generally, it will take about five minutes to caramelize, sizzling in its own fats. Since you didn't add oil, then you avoid a greasy mess. 

Unfortunately, this isn't the only mistake people make when cooking Spam. Another is slicing the protein too thinly, which makes the overall product too crispy, instead of the soft center Spam lovers desire. It's also a problem to cut it too thickly, which creates textural issues of the opposite variety. Others like to soak the Spam in cool water before cooking it, which helps reduce some of the intense saltiness. 

The lack of a need for oil also helps contribute to Spam's reputation as a go-anywhere meal that can be prepared in a number of ways, including the air fryer or the grill. It can even be eaten straight out of the can, with no cooking required. However, those who find it too fatty can opt for Spam Lite, which is blended with 50% less fat. If the thought of some properly cooked Spam is getting you hungry, why not try out some of these amazing, unexpected ways to use it?