Piggy Spam Musubi Bento Recipe

So, I just whipped up this insanely cute Spam musubi recipe that doubles as an art project and a snack—it’s literally like crafting your own little piggy friends before devouring them. Trust me, combining nostalgia with some culinary creativity makes these almost too adorable to eat… almost!

Uncover a delightful variation of a classic with my Spam Musubi Bento featuring Piggy Spam. I use seasoned sushi rice as a base.

That’s rice vinegar, sugar, and salt; it makes for perfect rice. Not to offend the Spam purists out there, but this luncheon meat can be pretty gross.

Thankfully, a savory glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar does wonders for it. Cheese is my secret ingredient.

It takes this experience up a notch for a very liveable lunch.

Piggy Spam Musubi Bento Recipe Ingredients

• Sushi Rice: Provides energy-rich carbohydrates, ideal for forming musubi shape.
• Soy Sauce: Adds umami flavor, rich in umami and saltiness.
• Spam: Offers savory protein with a distinctive salty taste.
• Rice Vinegar: Gives rice a tangy zest, essential for authentic sushi flavor.
• Mirin: Sweet cooking wine enhances the glaze’s sweetness and depth.
• Nori: Seaweed rich in minerals, wraps musubi and binds components.
• Cheese: Provides creamy texture and subtle tang, enriching visual appeal.

Piggy Spam Musubi Bento Recipe Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups sushi rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 can Spam, cut into 8 slices
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 2 tablespoons sugar (for the Spam glaze)
• 4 sheets nori, cut in half
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 8 small slices of cheese (eyes)
• 8 small oval cheese for noses
• 16 small black sesame seeds (nostrils)
• 8 small strips of nori or black olives (mouth)
• 8 small triangular cheese or nori (ears)

How to Make this Piggy Spam Musubi Bento Recipe

1. Wash the sushi rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then place the rice in a rice cooker with 2 1/2 cups of water. Cook it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

2. In a small saucepan, warm the rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt over low heat until dissolved. When the rice is done, move it to a large bowl and gently mix in the vinegar mixture, making sure to coat all the rice, while it is still piping hot. Let the rice cool before proceeding to the next step.

3. Cut the Spam into 8 even slices. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, and 2 tablespoons of sugar to make the glaze. Pour the glaze into a frying pan over medium heat; add Spam slices and cook until they are caramelized, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly.

4. Place a section of plastic wrap inside the Spam can. Pack a small layer of rice in tightly, forming a rice block in the can. Use the plastic wrap to remove the rice block from the Spam can.

5. Put a slice of Spam on the rice block. Take half a sheet of nori and wrap it around the rice and Spam to hold them together.

6. Combine mayonnaise and ketchup in a small bowl to make a sauce. Add a tiny amount of this sauce on top of each piece of musubi for flavor and also make it pretty.

7. Use the cheese to cut out small shapes for the eyes and oval shapes for the noses. Affix these to the Spam to make it look like a pig.

8. To create nostrils for the cheese ovals, press tiny black sesame seeds into the ovals so they stick. You can do this by lightly pressing the seeds enough to embed them into the surface of the cheese. If you don’t have sesame seeds, small bits of black olives will work, too.

9. Place small strips of nori or sliced black olives as mouths, positioning them below the cheese eyes and nose on each piece.

10. Cut cheese or nori into tiny triangles for ears, and attach them on top of the Spam at the corners to complete the piggy face decoration on each musubi. Pack into a bento box for an adorable meal.

Piggy Spam Musubi Bento Recipe Equipment Needed

1. Rice cooker
2. Large bowl
3. Small saucepan
4. Small bowls (2)
5. Frying pan
6. Plastic wrap
7. Spam can (for shaping rice)
8. Knife
9. Cutting board
10. Measuring cups
11. Measuring spoons

FAQ

• Q: Can I use a different type of rice instead of sushi rice?A: Stickiness is key to making a good musubi, and that means using sushi rice. However, if you don’t have sushi rice, or if for some strange reason you don’t want to use it, you can make this with shor
• Q: How do I store leftover Piggy Spam Musubi?A: Each musubi should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator, where it can be held for up to 2 days. The best results are achieved when the musubi is eaten fresh.
• Q: Can I use a different protein instead of Spam?A: You can indeed replace the Spam with grilled chicken, tofu, or other meats that are fully cooked, but the flavor may be different.
• Q: How do I ensure my nori stays crisp?Assemble the musubi just prior to serving. This will maintain the crisp texture of the nori. If you prefer a nori that has a slightly toasted flavor, you may choose to toast the nori sheets just before assembling the musubi.
• Q: Is there a vegetarian version of this recipe?A: Make it vegetarian by swapping the Spam for grilled tofu or your favorite protein from plants and using your choice of rice vinegar and mirin substitutes. Ingredients:

  1 can Spam, chopped
  1/2 cup rice vinegar
  1/4 cup mirin
  1/2 cup sugar
  1 1/2 tablespoons salt
  1 1/2 tablespoons dried kombu (optional; adds umami)
  2 cups short-grain, sushi, or medium-grain rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes (longer for older rice)
  3 cups water
  2 tablespoons rice vinegar or use 1 cup, (diluted 1:1 with water), for quick pickles
  8 nori sheets, cut in half
  Sesame seeds (optional)

• Q: Can I prepare the sushi rice ahead of time?A: Of course, you can prepare the rice in advance of making sushi and store it at room temperature for a few hours or in the refrigerator (refrigeration is my recommendation) before gentle reheating and use. In fact, I suggest making the rice a day ahead as part of your sushi prep.

Piggy Spam Musubi Bento Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Calrose or any short-grain rice can be substituted for the sushi rice.
If you cannot find rice vinegar, you might try substituting apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
In the rice and glaze, substitute the sugar for brown sugar or honey.
Substitute Spam with cooked ham or grilled chicken for a different flavor.
Soy wraps or lettuce can be substituted for nori to make a lighter version.

Pro Tips

1. Perfect Rice Texture When washing the sushi rice, be sure to rinse it gently several times until the water is completely clear. This helps remove excess starch and ensures the rice is fluffy and not sticky once cooked.

2. Uniform Spam Caramelization To ensure even caramelization and prevent the Spam from sticking, heat the pan first before adding the glaze and Spam slices. Flip the slices frequently and watch them closely as they caramelize quickly due to the sugar content.

3. Rice Shaping Tip For a firmer rice block, press the rice down gently but firmly in the Spam can using the plastic wrap. This helps create a solid base that holds its shape well when removed from the can.

4. Nori Sealing When wrapping the nori, use a small amount of water to slightly moisten the edges. This will help seal the nori better and keep it in place around the rice and Spam.

5. Cheese and Decorations To easily cut out the cheese shapes for decorations, use small cookie cutters or a sharp knife lightly greased. This ensures clean cuts without tearing the cheese. Prepare these decorations ahead of time so they’re ready to quickly add to the musubi while assembling.