Copy/paste from another forum I posted it, since I can't link to there. Lot of extra work, not going to insert the 15 pictures again, maybe a couple. Pictures can be seen at meatgistics dot waltons dot com in original thread.
Ive been reading a lot of threads about SPAM, as it is very similar to Pork Roll except unfermented and un-acidified. It us probably the simplest "formed loaf" you can make, because you just jam it into any mold and sous vide it. The texture is light and not dense, it has high moisture held in strong gel bind from potato starch. Those two mean you don't have to pack it into a casing under pressure. Mix, mild, cook.
Additionally, there are so many flavors of SPAM that you basically can't go wrong with whatever you like.
**Deriving the Recipe**
(Skip down to the RECIPE if you're not interested in how to derive one )
From spam cans:
Ingredients: pork, ham, mech separated chicken, water, salt, modified potato starch, sugar, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride (low sodium version, replaces salt), sodium nitrite.
Looking at the nutrition label, with 56g serving we get the following:
Salt, normal spam 3.4%
Salt, low sodium spam 2.5%
Fat 28.5%
Sugar added, 1.8%
Because we can see salt >potato starch > Sugar, we can derive about 2% potato starch.
We know sodium nitrite usage is likely 2.5g per kg, the standard 0.25% giving 156ppm.
We know water is > 10%, because meat will easily hold 10% without phosphates, and this has phosphate added, so estimating 15% based on texture and prior loaf texture with 10 to 20% water.
Phosphates have a standard usage. I have them, but decided to use Waltons Sure Gel instead, a blend of >33% milk whey protein (probably hi temp NFDM), 33% phosphates, and <33% gelatin. I just had some open, and didn't want to open a new bag of sodium phosphates (cold phosphate). Those all are good water binders which will help along with potato starch to lock in a lot of water for that light, gel kinda texture.
**RECIPE**
1000g pork butt, 28% fat, add as needed
15% ice water, 150 ml or grams
53g meaty smoked buckboard bacon, for a bit of "ham flavor".
2.5g cure#1
2.5% salt total, of which 2.3g from cure1 and 22.7g kosher.
1.6% sugar, 16g
10g potato starch (NOT dried potatoes!)
15g Sure gel, (OR use 5g cold phosphate, 5g more potato starch, so total binders approx 2% or 20g)
0.5g sodium erythorbate, cure accelerator and color fixing.
÷÷÷÷That's basic SPAM above this line!÷÷÷÷÷
Spices (just what I like in basic pork roll here):
0.15% white pepper, 1.5g
0.1% black pepper, 1.0g
0.1% coriander ground, 1.0g
0.1% paprika, 1.0g
0.05% garlic granulated, 0.5g
4.5% jalapeno fresh, 45g fine dice no vein/seed
**Procedure**
1. Grind meat and fat to 3mm to 6mm
2. Freeze flat, thaw enough to chop ice cube size.
 
3. In food processor w sharp blade, emulsify 50% or 500g to < 1mm size, basically like hot dog or baloney.
4. Remaining 50% 1 to 3mm size, however you like your spam texture. I do 3mm -ish.
5. Blend all spices with 150ml of ice water, whisk, add to meat in mixer like Kitchenaid.
6. Mix hard for 3 to 5 min or so, good extraction. Will be more wet and gooey than normal sausage.
 
7. Stuff into a form that will hold 1.2kg. I use a polyethylene bag for bread, or a Reynolds cooking bag, inside a 4" diam stainless "bain marie" cylinder. I grease cylinder so bag will slide in, get all air out, seal up bag good.
7a. You could pack into tupperware and vac seal that, then sous vide it. Whatever shape you like.
8. Sous vide cylinder in 150 to 155f water until center IT is 145 for 5 min, or more. Intent is to cook to FSIS lethality treatment per tables but NOT get fat out or melting, so low heat. Smaller diam equals shorter time. I greased up my 5" cylinder, had to switch to 4" that holds 1.1kg.
After 2 hrs in 4" stainless form at 150 1hr then 155 1 hr, IT is 129 still... still cooking.
Update: 4.5 hrs, IT was 151. Put in ice bath and into fridge. Saw zero fat out in bag. Could probably do 160f for reduced time without fat melting.
 
**FLAVOR RESULTS**
This is from a patty I pan fried on low, cylinder is still cooking main batch...
1. Less salt than spam, same as pork roll, more than fresh sausage. Good level. Good strong cure and color using S.E. and cure1, cooking 15 min after mixing.
2. Recognizably SPAMish, but this was better than normal spam, or at least the can I used for comparison. Correct sugar level.
3. Great texture and water level. My son said spam is more emulsified, but I like a bit of texture remaining. You could process more if desired.
4. Good pepper and jalapeno heat levels, not too strong bit definitely there, I won't change, got lucky with this guess.
5. Other spices all happy with, but you could change coriander and garlic, paprika and peppers as desired. My plan is to use as is, and just replace the jalapeno with other stuff as desired.
Ive been reading a lot of threads about SPAM, as it is very similar to Pork Roll except unfermented and un-acidified. It us probably the simplest "formed loaf" you can make, because you just jam it into any mold and sous vide it. The texture is light and not dense, it has high moisture held in strong gel bind from potato starch. Those two mean you don't have to pack it into a casing under pressure. Mix, mild, cook.
Additionally, there are so many flavors of SPAM that you basically can't go wrong with whatever you like.
**Deriving the Recipe**
(Skip down to the RECIPE if you're not interested in how to derive one )
From spam cans:
Ingredients: pork, ham, mech separated chicken, water, salt, modified potato starch, sugar, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride (low sodium version, replaces salt), sodium nitrite.
Looking at the nutrition label, with 56g serving we get the following:
Salt, normal spam 3.4%
Salt, low sodium spam 2.5%
Fat 28.5%
Sugar added, 1.8%
Because we can see salt >potato starch > Sugar, we can derive about 2% potato starch.
We know sodium nitrite usage is likely 2.5g per kg, the standard 0.25% giving 156ppm.
We know water is > 10%, because meat will easily hold 10% without phosphates, and this has phosphate added, so estimating 15% based on texture and prior loaf texture with 10 to 20% water.
Phosphates have a standard usage. I have them, but decided to use Waltons Sure Gel instead, a blend of >33% milk whey protein (probably hi temp NFDM), 33% phosphates, and <33% gelatin. I just had some open, and didn't want to open a new bag of sodium phosphates (cold phosphate). Those all are good water binders which will help along with potato starch to lock in a lot of water for that light, gel kinda texture.
**RECIPE**
1000g pork butt, 28% fat, add as needed
15% ice water, 150 ml or grams
53g meaty smoked buckboard bacon, for a bit of "ham flavor".
2.5g cure#1
2.5% salt total, of which 2.3g from cure1 and 22.7g kosher.
1.6% sugar, 16g
10g potato starch (NOT dried potatoes!)
15g Sure gel, (OR use 5g cold phosphate, 5g more potato starch, so total binders approx 2% or 20g)
0.5g sodium erythorbate, cure accelerator and color fixing.
÷÷÷÷That's basic SPAM above this line!÷÷÷÷÷
Spices (just what I like in basic pork roll here):
0.15% white pepper, 1.5g
0.1% black pepper, 1.0g
0.1% coriander ground, 1.0g
0.1% paprika, 1.0g
0.05% garlic granulated, 0.5g
4.5% jalapeno fresh, 45g fine dice no vein/seed
**Procedure**
1. Grind meat and fat to 3mm to 6mm
2. Freeze flat, thaw enough to chop ice cube size.
 
3. In food processor w sharp blade, emulsify 50% or 500g to < 1mm size, basically like hot dog or baloney.
4. Remaining 50% 1 to 3mm size, however you like your spam texture. I do 3mm -ish.
5. Blend all spices with 150ml of ice water, whisk, add to meat in mixer like Kitchenaid.
6. Mix hard for 3 to 5 min or so, good extraction. Will be more wet and gooey than normal sausage.
 
7. Stuff into a form that will hold 1.2kg. I use a polyethylene bag for bread, or a Reynolds cooking bag, inside a 4" diam stainless "bain marie" cylinder. I grease cylinder so bag will slide in, get all air out, seal up bag good.
7a. You could pack into tupperware and vac seal that, then sous vide it. Whatever shape you like.
8. Sous vide cylinder in 150 to 155f water until center IT is 145 for 5 min, or more. Intent is to cook to FSIS lethality treatment per tables but NOT get fat out or melting, so low heat. Smaller diam equals shorter time. I greased up my 5" cylinder, had to switch to 4" that holds 1.1kg.
After 2 hrs in 4" stainless form at 150 1hr then 155 1 hr, IT is 129 still... still cooking.
Update: 4.5 hrs, IT was 151. Put in ice bath and into fridge. Saw zero fat out in bag. Could probably do 160f for reduced time without fat melting.
 
**FLAVOR RESULTS**
This is from a patty I pan fried on low, cylinder is still cooking main batch...
1. Less salt than spam, same as pork roll, more than fresh sausage. Good level. Good strong cure and color using S.E. and cure1, cooking 15 min after mixing.
2. Recognizably SPAMish, but this was better than normal spam, or at least the can I used for comparison. Correct sugar level.
3. Great texture and water level. My son said spam is more emulsified, but I like a bit of texture remaining. You could process more if desired.
4. Good pepper and jalapeno heat levels, not too strong bit definitely there, I won't change, got lucky with this guess.
5. Other spices all happy with, but you could change coriander and garlic, paprika and peppers as desired. My plan is to use as is, and just replace the jalapeno with other stuff as desired.
