Spam Musubi
Super Easy Homemade Spam Musubi Recipe: Enjoy a Square Kimbap Alternative
Craving kimbap but find the ingredient preparation tedious? Spam musubi offers a simple way to capture that kimbap essence! Also known as square kimbap, this dish is a delicious treat for any occasion. Today, I’ll guide you through making spam musubi that saves time and effort while satisfying both taste and appearance. Even beginners can easily follow along, so let’s get cooking!
Essential Ingredients
- Canned Ham (Spam or similar brand) 2 cans
- Egg 1
- Kimbap Seaweed Sheets 1.5 sheets
- Cooked Rice 1 bowl
- Toasted Sesame Seeds a pinch
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the egg, which will add a smooth and savory flavor to your spam musubi. Crack one egg into a bowl and whisk it thoroughly with a fork or whisk until well beaten.
Step 2
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a generous amount of cooking oil. Pour the beaten egg thinly and evenly to create an egg crepe. Cook it slowly over medium-low heat to prevent burning. While it’s cooking, you can fold the egg in half, which makes shaping easier later. Once cooked, cut the egg crepe into pieces the size of your canned ham.
Step 3
Now, it’s time to grill the star of the spam musubi: the canned ham! Slice the canned ham into desired pieces. I cut two cans in half, making four pieces in total. You can also use the ham slices whole if you prefer. The savory taste of Spam is absolutely delightful with freshly cooked warm rice! (Tip: You can use other brands of ham with a similar flavor profile instead of Spam. I often use ‘X Brand’ ham for its value.)
Step 4
Next, we need a mold to shape the spam musubi. Using an empty canned ham container after cooking the ham is convenient. If you don’t have one, a square plastic container or a specialized musubi mold will work. Line the inside of the mold generously with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is larger than the mold itself for easy removal later.
Step 5
Now, let’s layer the ingredients inside the mold to create the musubi. For the rice, seasoning it with salt and sesame oil and sprinkling toasted sesame seeds will enhance the flavor, similar to how you’d prepare rice for kimbap. However, if you’re short on time, plain warm rice is perfectly fine. Start by pressing the seasoned rice into the bottom of the mold. Then, add the egg crepe, followed by the canned ham. Finally, top it off with another layer of rice.
Step 6
Once all the ingredients are in the mold, cover the top with the plastic wrap and gently press down to shape the musubi. Pressing firmly will compact the rice, ham, and egg, ensuring the musubi holds its shape well.
Step 7
Carefully remove the musubi from the mold, and you’ll see the neat square shape is complete! In my case, since I used less egg and ham, the rice layer appears more prominent. Feel free to adjust the proportions of rice, egg, and ham according to your preference.
Step 8
Gently unwrap the plastic from the shaped musubi. Cut a kimbap seaweed sheet in half. Place the musubi on one half of the seaweed sheet. Roll it up tightly, ensuring the rough side of the seaweed faces inward and the shiny side faces outward. The key is to wrap the seaweed snugly around the rice to prevent it from falling apart.
Step 9
Once rolled, cut the spam musubi in half for easy eating – done! (I couldn’t resist trying one, it was so delicious! :)) Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top for a final touch. When you don’t feel like preparing a full meal, this is a fantastic alternative that’s almost as satisfying as kimbap. You can also experiment with fillings like bulgogi, tuna, or spicy stir-fried kimchi for a different flavor profile.
Step 10
Spam musubi is a versatile dish that works wonderfully as a meal or snack without the extensive preparation required for traditional kimbap. Its attractive square shape makes it ideal for lunchboxes or picnic food, and it’s also a great option to serve at home parties instead of rice. The inherent saltiness of the canned ham means it’s flavorful on its own.
Step 11
While many make this as a substantial meal, I prepared a smaller portion to enjoy with other side dishes. Eating spam musubi alongside a hearty pork belly kimchi stew was incredibly delicious! (Refer to the link @6964435 for the pork belly kimchi stew recipe.) If you’re looking for a simpler way to enjoy something like kimbap, I highly recommend this square kimbap, spam musubi!
