Chef Jordan Andino proves that a tasty SPAM recipe deserves a place at the table

Chef Jordan Andino shares tasty SPAM recipe and his thoughts on canned food.

When was the last time you made a tasty SPAM recipe? For Chef Jordan Andino, SPAM offers a tremendous amount of recipe creativity. The Filipino cuisine expert and host of the Cooking Channel’s “Late Night Eats,” Andino wants to encourage people to stop hiding that canned meat in the pantry. It is time to get cooking.

While the past several months have been unprecedented, the extra time at home and in the kitchen have given rise to more culinary exploration. Far beyond that need to bake, the kitchen has offered a journey on the plate. From new flavors to rediscovering certain ingredients, the food has become a culinary passport.

Recently, Chef Jordan Andino graciously answered some questions about the food trends, his Cheesy SPAM Pastor Tacos recipe and why SPAM deserves a place at the table.

Cristine Struble: Without people being able to travel, how has this type of recipe helped to satisfy their wanderlust?

Chef Jordan Andino: A recipe like this will help to satiate those wanderers that love to travel because you can get a taste of three different countries in one harmonious bite!! The SPAM Classic speaks to the Philippines and the US love for SPAM varieties as seen through its obsessive cult following in breakfast dishes and creative bites. And as the star of the dish, I wanted to take the amazing culture and tradition of Mexican cuisine and apply that to a fun, innovative and new take on the beloved Al Pastor taco preparation.

CS: There has been a rediscovery of canned meat; can creative recipes like this one take away the stigma of canned meat?

JA: It was my goal, when the SPAM brand asked me to come up with a creative recipe for their product, to remove the stigma of canned meat because it’s just NOT true. Canned goods, of any varietal, are useful, quick, easy and affordable for a mass portion of the population. I personally believe that unfair marketing practices have put the notion in consumers’ minds that canned meats are sub-standard and to be frowned upon. The fact is many countries around the world respect and realize that canning is a useful method that can still elevate expensive food!! See canned scorpions in Asia, French foie gras and truffles and tuna from Spain!

CS: Why does SPAM sometimes get a bad rap? Is it because people don’t know how to use it?

JA: Canned meats in general get a bad rap. Aside from the SPAM® brand, things like canned tuna, chicken, oysters and sardines are looked down upon by many food enthusiasts and wrongly so! There is a reason that the brand has such loyal followers and consumers for many decades…because the product quality speaks for itself. Once you fry it, there is no way you can try and tell me it’s “not tasty” because it’ s undeniably delicious!!

CS: More home cooks are looking to be creative in the kitchen. Can blending the new and familiar help them to find that joy of cooking?

JA: As we continue to cook more at home, being creative is the best way to stay engaged while cooking and allows one to find the small joys in cooking. The moment that you have that flavor epiphany, you’ re now so proud of your work that that motivation is what drives people to use new ingredients and try new flavor profiles. Blending your favorite flavors and trying that in new techniques and preparations will open up your mind, pique your cooking interests, and will give you a new appreciation for all types of food.

CS: The Cheesy SPAM Pastor Tacos recipe shows the versatility of the SPAM brand, can it really be swapped into other popular dishes?

JA: The SPAM brand is great because it’ s the perfect swap for bacon… and who doesn’t love bacon!! The way I look at it, bacon (and it’s lovely cooking affiliates) is one of the best tasting foods in the world and anything that can be used in lieu of bacon is fine by ME!! The way SPAM products are cooked and the texture that’s developed when fried creates a salty and umami flavor that is as addictive as it is tasty and has kept me coming back from childhood until now.

If you would like to try Chef Jordan Andino’s Cheesy SPAM Pastor Tacos recipe, it can be found on the SPAM website. Additional tasty recipes are available online too.

Also, check out Chef Jordan on Late Night Eats on the Cooking Channel.

When was the last time you enjoyed a tasty SPAM recipe?