Spam Sushi (Musubi)

I take great delight in convincing people they like foods they thought they hated. Spam is one of them. I re-examined this ingredient after a trip to the Spam Museum in Albert Lea, which led me to stumble across this recipe. It is also known as spam musubi, and it is native to Hawaii, where the US military bases introduced the locals to the 'wonders' of canned luncheon meat. Since each musubi is made with a cross-section of the whole Spam loaf, they make for a very filling appetizer. You can either season the rice as for sushi or leave it plain. These are a real crowd-pleaser and I've had a number of requests to bring these to parties.

1 can Spam
2 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. terriyaki sauce
2 sheets nori, cut into 1.5" strips
1-2 qt cooked sushi rice (season with rice vinegar, salt, and sugar if desired)

Remove the Spam from the tin--this may take some vigorous shaking. Slice into 1/4" pieces. Brush the pieces with terriyaki sauce. Fry lightly in a small amount of oil in a large non-stick pan, to crisp up the pieces a bit.

Form the rice into Spam-slice sized ovals. Make sure the rice is packed tightly enough to hold together, but not so tight it's like a rock. It helps to wet your hands with cold water. Place a slice of Spam on the rice and carefully wrap the nori around it so that the open side is down. Wet the edge with water to seal. It will take some practice to get good at this.

Serve with Sriracha sauce and a sense of humor :)

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