A microwave is a quick hack when you are short of time.
You can conveniently cook or reheat most foods such as chicken breast in the microwave, but can you microwave luncheon meat?
Our kitchen experts have compiled a comprehensive write-up that answers your question in detail.
Let’s dive in.
Can You Microwave Luncheon Meat?
Yes. It is safe, fast, and convenient to reheat cold spam in the microwave.
It takes less than a minute to reheat luncheon meat and use it for a sandwich on a lazy afternoon.
The process saves you the pain of washing soiled utensils since it doesn’t require much equipment.
Don’t miss: Can you microwave Chipotle burrito?
How to Microwave Luncheon Meat
Luncheon meat is a popular protein (pork product); hence you must be careful enough when reheating it in the microwave to safeguard its taste and health safety.
Here is a simple step-by-step guide that will help you as you reheat luncheon meat for your favorite sandwich:
Requirements
- Luncheon meat (spam)
- Microwave-safe dish (ceramic and glass plates are ideal for microwave use since they can withstand high heat.)
- Can opener
- Kitchen thermometer
- Paper towels
Procedure
Thaw frozen
Use a can opener, electric opener, or hand-held top opener to open the can.
Transfer your luncheon meat from the tin to a microwave-safe plate.
Place the slices as a single layer to allow microwaves to penetrate through and heat the spam evenly.
Drain off the melted ice. Use a kitchen towel to wipe off melted ice which will otherwise make your luncheon meat soggy.
You can slice your spam or dice it to speed up the reheating process and allow even heating.
Place the spam in the microwave and put the power setting on high.
Let your spam heat for 30 seconds and pause the appliance to flip the slices.
You can serve it immediately after microwaving it or pass it over a hot skillet to make it crispy.
Spam is meaty, contains numerous minerals, and could spark in the microwave. Arcing is no cause of alarm and can’t cause a fire.
How Long Do You Microwave Luncheon Meat
Luncheon meat is cured before canning and eaten as-it-is without being microwaved. Microwaving is just done to optimize its flavor and taste.
Spam reheating time will vary depending on the following factors:
- Type of microwave
- Microwave’s wattage
- Size and thickness of the spam
- Your spam’s original temperature
- Your personal preference
However, the standard reheating time for spam is 30 seconds and should never exceed 1 minute; otherwise, high microwave heat will denature available proteins.
Tips to remember when microwaving luncheon eat
The following tips will enhance your experience when reheating spam in the microwave:
- Transfer your spam from the packaging tin into a microwave-safe plate. Tin is a metal and is like to cause arcing (sparks) in the microwave.
- Don’t overstock the spam slices; otherwise, you end up with unevenly heated luncheon meat.
- Be cautious when handling the hand-held openers on the can to avoid hurting your hands.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature of your spam. The recommended safe internal temperature for protein products is 165℉.
- You must thaw frozen spam to allow even heating. Overnight refrigeration is the best method to thaw spam since you can refreeze, and it also allows even thawing.
- If you are short of time, you can use the microwave defrost option to thaw spam before reheating it in the same microwave.
- Slice, dice, or chop large spam to allow even heating.
- Heat spam at intervals of 30 seconds and flip to allow even heating on both sides.
- Don’t overheat spam. High microwave heat could burn it or denature available nutrients.
- You can shallow-fry microwaved spam for a crunchy, golden-brown finish.
- Sandwich spam slices should be a manageable length.
Alternatives for Microwaving Luncheon Meat
You can consider the following alternatives to reheat your cold spam if you are still concerned about using the microwave or you don’t have it:
- Pan-frying
- Using an oven
Reheating Spam in an Oven
Here is how you reheat spam in an oven:
- Defrost frozen spam in the refrigerator or using a microwave.
- Season your spam with preferred ingredients (garlic, onion, and chili powder) to enhance taste and flavor.
- Preheat your oven to 250℉ to ensure even heating and reduce the reheating time.
- Wrap your seasoned spam with aluminum foil to speed up the process and allow even heating.
- Place the wrapped spam on the middle rack.
- Place an oven-safe bowl with water on the lower rack so that the warm moisture will aid in reheating.
Reheating spam in an oven is time-intensive. It requires patience.
The oven method allows you to reheat even large chunks.
Low oven heat preserves available nutrients, unlike high microwave heat.
Reheating Luncheon Meat in a Skillet (Frying Pan)
Reheating spam in a frying pan is the easiest of all methods.
It is as easy as follows:
- Defrost frozen luncheon meat in the refrigerator or using a microwave.
- Dry off any traces of moisture to prevent splattering.
- Slice blocked spam to allow fast, even heating.
- Place your skillet on medium heat and toss some butter on it.
- Place the spam slices on the pan and let it heat for 1 minute.
- Use a wooden spoon to flip and let the other side cook for an extra minute.
FAQs
What Is The Best Way To Cook Spam?
Spam is precooked and cured before canning, and no need to recook it.
You can only reheat it to enhance its flavor and taste.
The Skillet method is the best, easiest, and most convenient method to reheat spam.
You need to slice the spam and place it on a medium-heated pan with butter for 3-5 minutes. You must flip the slices to reheat both sides.
Is Spam A Healthy Meat?
Spa has no significant health risks since it is white meat. However, it contains high levels of cholesterol and sodium.
It is safer to reheat frozen spam to an internal temperature of 165℉ which is safe for proteins.
Final Thoughts
It is easy, fast, and convenient to reheat luncheon meat in the microwave.
You need to defrost frozen spam and place it on a microwave-safe plate for 30 seconds, then flip it to ensure even heating.
As discussed above, you can also reheat spam in a skillet or oven without a microwave.