Homemade Spam made with ground pork. Before we get into making the Homemade version, let’s see what are the ingredients for SPAM. They list only 6 Ingredients. Which are.
Pork with Ham, Salt, Water, Potato Starch, Sugar, Sodium Nitrite.
For the pork and ham, I just use ground pork. However, if you want to mimic the original, then mostly Pork Shoulder is used alongside some Ham. For the Sodium Nitrite, I use Prague Powder #1. This can be picked up at a local Sausage Supply Store or through Amazon. The addition of Potato Starch I believe was just recent and helps with the moisture and binding.
Spices
Spam actually comes in quite a few different flavors. Add additional spices to spice it up. Some suggestions are below.
- White Pepper
- Pumpkin Spice
- Allspice
- Hickory Smoke
- Coriander
- Jalapeño
- Black Pepper
- Paprika
- Garlic
- Cardamon
- Mace
- Sage
How to Make Homemade Spam
It’s actually not all that difficult. You just combine everything together and run it through a food processor until it’s a pink paste. Pack it into a small bread pan and cover with tin foil.
Make sure that the meat is cold and that you pack it tightly. Doing this in portions will get you better results.
Homemade Spam Water Bath
Place the small bread pan with the spam meat, covered with Tin Foil inside another large pan filled with water, and cook. The water should come up 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the pan. Bake in the oven at 250 F for 3–4 hours.
Resting Homemade Spam
Remove from the oven and place something on top that can put some weight unto the meat, like a brick. Let rest 1 or more hours.
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor
- 1 Small Bread Pan
- 1 Large Pan that can fit the small bread pan in it
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Ground Pork
- 1/2 tsp Prague Powder #1
- 1 1/2 Tbl Sugar & Potato Starch
- 1/2 Tbl Kosher Salt
- 1/2 C Cold Water
- optional Pinch of Nutmeg or other Seasonings
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients and puree in a processor until it is pink slime.
- Depending on the size of your processor, you may have to do this in half batches. Or mix in a dough mixer for about 20 minutes.
- Pack into a small bread pan really well. Doing this in portions will get you better results.
- Cover the bread pan with tin foil and place the bread pan in a large pan filled with water so that the water comes up 1/2 – 3/4 of the way up the bread pan with the spam in it.
- Place into preheated oven at 250 F for 3 – 4 hours. Or internal temp is 155 F
- Remove from the oven and place something on top that can put some weight on the meat, like a brick. Let rest 1 or more hours.