Welcome back to Dining with Donaldson, the place where I try recipes so you don’t have to!

As I’m writing this, I recently returned from a small family vacation to the Mall of America. I’m not a big fan of road trips, so I try to find fun things to do along the way to break up the monotony of being in the car for hours. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota, and much to my surprise, it was right along our route to the mall! I quickly added it to our itinerary, knowing everyone else would be just as excited as I was.

I’m sure you can guess where this week’s recipe is going. If you guessed SPAM, you’d be right! Personally, I’m not a big fan of SPAM, but others in my family are, and I’m always happy to make something for them to enjoy, even when I won’t be joining them.

After visiting the museum, our growling bellies reminded us that it was lunchtime, so we stopped at a local favorite that offers a “secret” SPAM menu, along with a regular menu for everyone else to enjoy. One of the items was fried SPAM slices served with ranch dipping sauce. They were a crowd favorite at our table, and as I watched my family enjoy this interesting fried treat, I thought to myself, “I bet I could make that.”

Upon returning home, I did some research and came across a somewhat similar recipe. Luckily, we had purchased a large quantity of different SPAM varieties at the museum, giving me plenty of options for my experiment. After much deliberation, I decided to “spice” things up by using the jalapeño version. See what I did there? For my base recipe, I used one I found on the website Keeping It Relle (keepingitrelle.com).

First, heat vegetable oil in a pot on the stove. Vegetable oil works well for frying because it can withstand higher temperatures. For my frying station, I also like to prepare a plate lined with several paper towels and place a pair of tongs nearby. Once the oil is hot, you need to work quickly and efficiently.

Next, cut the SPAM into small, fry-shaped strips. Then, set up your breading station. When breading foods, I like to use a combination of pie plates and regular dinner plates. This allows me to get good coverage while still keeping the mixtures contained. Another very important part of breading is adding seasoning to every step of the process. Flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs can all be bland, and they tend to soak up seasoning quickly. When measuring seasonings for a breading mixture, I usually follow my heart, and then add just a little bit more. You don’t want your flavors to get lost in translation.

All right, back to the breading station. In a line, arrange a dinner plate, a pie plate, another dinner plate, and finally, a clean cutting board. On the first plate, combine the flour with a generous amount of seasoning. I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. In the pie plate, whisk together the eggs, a splash of milk, and the same seasonings. Make sure the eggs are mixed thoroughly so there aren’t any clumps that could interfere with the breading process. On the final plate, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the same seasoning mixture.

Now, we can begin breading. First, dip each SPAM “fry” into the flour, making sure it is coated completely. You can use your fingers to gently press the flour mixture onto it if needed. Carefully move the fry to the egg mixture and coat it completely. I sometimes use one hand for the dry ingredients and the other hand for the wet ingredients so I don’t transfer the egg mixture back into the flour or breadcrumbs. Once the fry is coated in the egg mixture, move it to the panko breadcrumbs and repeat the process. When it is fully covered, place it on the clean cutting board. Continue until all the SPAM fries are breaded.

Move the cutting board near the stove and check that the oil is hot enough for frying. Using the tongs you set out earlier, slowly lower the fries into the oil, leaving some space between each one. Avoid adding too many at once, as overcrowding the pot can lower the temperature of the oil.

Allow the fries to cook until golden brown, then turn them and continue frying until all sides are evenly browned. Once they are finished, use the tongs to transfer them to the paper towel lined plate to remove the excess oil. After they have cooled slightly, serve the SPAM fries with the dipping sauce of your choice. I decided to make a cilantro lime ranch to complement the jalapeño flavor in the SPAM.

Pros: Super simple to make; salty and slightly spicy; super crunchy; unexpected flavor profile; unique way to use SPAM

Cons: Not as light and airy as I had hoped; SPAM is an acquired taste, so these won’t be for everyone

Rachel Donaldson is an author, self-described foodie and the current family and consumer sciences teacher at North Tama Community School District. She resides with her family in Vinton.