Easy Luncheon Meat Recipe From Scratch

This homemade spam recipe is savory, tender, and so much healthier than store-bought. Perfect for slicing, pan-frying, or adding to your favorite dishes!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Servings

Calories 354kcal

Ingredients

Core Ingredients:

500 g pork shoulder with some fat
100 g cornstarch
1 egg approx. 50g, at room temperature

Deodorizing Ingredients:

1 tsp strong baijiu 50% ABV or higher
2 tsp cooking wine
20 g scallion-ginger water
1 tsp approx. 10g all-purpose flour

Seasonings:

5 g white granulated sugar
1 g five-spice powder
0.5 g white pepper powder
3 g chicken bouillon optional
1 g red yeast rice powder optional, for color
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce

For Consistency & Handling:

80 g cold water
80 g cornstarch
20 ml neutral oil e.g., corn or soybean oil

Instructions

Step 1: Prep Work

Make scallion-ginger water: Slice 5g ginger and 10g scallion, soak in 30ml water. Squeeze and steep for 30 minutes, strain, and reserve 20g liquid.
Grease mold: Brush a 1mm thick layer of oil on all sides and bottom of mold. Place on a baking tray.
Prepare tools: Wash meat grinder, cut foil 5cm larger than mold for covering later.

Step 2: Remove Odor from Meat

Place pork shoulder in a large bowl with 1 tbsp flour, 1 tsp liquor, and 50ml water. Knead by hand for 3 minutes to remove blood and odor.
Rinse under running water until clear (2–3 times). Pat dry completely with kitchen paper.

Step 3: Grind and Season Meat (20 minutes)

Grind Meat
Dice fat into 0.5cm cubes. Cut lean into 2cm cubes.
Grind lean once on “coarse” mode (for texture). For smoother spam, grind twice.
Mix lean and fat together by hand for 1 minute.
Add Seasonings
Mix in sugar, five-spice, white pepper, bouillon, red yeast rice powder, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and scallion-ginger water.
Stir in one direction for 1 minute until well combined.
Add Starch & Egg Mixture
In a bowl, whisk 80g cornstarch, 80g water, and 1 egg until smooth.
Pour into meat mixture and stir 2–3 minutes until sticky and elastic — mixture should cling to chopsticks.

Step 4: Shape and Steam (45 minutes)

Transfer mixture into mold. Use greased spatula to spread evenly, pressing out air bubbles. Flatten surface.
Cover tightly with foil. Place the mold in a steamer over medium heat. Steam for 40 minutes.
Test doneness: Insert chopstick in center — no blood should seep out.

Step 5: Cool and Slice (15 minutes)

Remove foil and cool to room temp (30 minutes), or refrigerate 1 hour.
Unmold carefully and slice into 0.5–1cm thick pieces with a sharp knife (wipe blade after each cut).

Nutrition