Spam Musubi Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 8 slices Spam, 1/4-inch thick (1 can)
• 8 cups hot, cooked, short-grain Japanese sticky rice, such as Calrose (see Cook’s Tip)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 4 sheets nori (dried seaweed), about 8 x 8-inches

Directions:

1. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir until melted and combined.
2. Carefully lay Spam in pan, without overlapping. Brown slightly on each side, moving around a bit to coat with sauce. Transfer Spam to plate and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix hot rice with salt. Avoid using metal utensils as the rice will stick.
4. To Assemble the Musubi: Use a plastic cutting board or silicone pastry mat as a work surface. Place a sheet of nori on it with the rough side facing up. Lay 2 slices Spam, side-by-side, short ends together, across the middle of the nori. If desired, sprinkle Spam with furikake. Arrange 2 cups cooked rice in an even layer over the Spam, without smashing it down. Wet fingertips work well for the job. It should look like a white, 2-inch band across the middle.
5. Lift up the bottom of the nori and fold upwards over the filling. Press it gently against the rice and down on the Spam to help it stick. Raise the opposite side of the nori and fold it up and over the top of the musubi so that the edges overlap slightly. If the ends of the nori do not adhere to the musubi, moisten them slightly by rubbing a bit of water on them with your finger. Flip the musubi over so that the seam is on the bottom. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 rolls.
6. Once rice has cooled, cut each musubi in half or into quarters. Wrap halves individually in plastic. Arrange smaller pieces on a plastic platter, cut side up. Cover entire platter with plastic until ready to serve. Do not refrigerate or rice will get hard. Consume within 24 hours.
7. Cook’s Tip:
8. To make 8 cups cooked rice, begin with 4 cups uncooked rice. Rinse until water runs clear. Place in a saucepan and add enough water to cover rice by one inch (about 8 cups). Bring to boil. When water level reaches that of rice, remove from heat. Cover and allow to steam 10 minutes. Fluff.
9. Plastic utensils and platters work best for serving sticky rice.