Spam

Doneness

Done when the slices are browned and crisp at the edges with caramelized, slightly crackly surfaces. Spam is fully cooked in the can, so you're only crisping it — flip once at the halfway mark so both sides brown. Go by colour, not an internal temperature: pull it when the edges are golden-brown and the surface looks lacquered, more if you like it crispier.

Oil & seasoning

None needed — Spam is fatty enough to crisp on its own and renders a little oil. For musubi, brush on a soy-brown-sugar glaze in the last couple of minutes instead.

Season with: Plain crisped: sliced and browned as-is for breakfast, fried rice, or sandwiches., Teriyaki glaze (musubi): brushed with teriyaki or a soy-sugar glaze, then pressed onto rice and wrapped in nori for Spam musubi., Soy-brown-sugar: a sweet-salty glaze caramelized onto the slices in the last few minutes., Peppered-maple: cracked black pepper and a brush of maple syrup for a sweet-savoury breakfast slice..

Watch out for

• !Spam is fully cooked in the can — you're only crisping and browning it, not cooking raw meat, so there's no internal-temperature target.
• !Slice it evenly, about ¼–½ inch thick, so the pieces crisp at the same rate; thin slices crisp faster and can dry out.
• !Keep the slices in a single layer with space so they brown instead of steaming against each other.
• !Add any glaze (teriyaki, soy-brown-sugar) only in the last couple of minutes — the sugar scorches if it's on the whole time.
• !Spam is very salty — don't add salt, and balance it with rice, egg, or something fresh.