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Fried-Spam Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Time 45 minutes
Yields Serves 2
Two stacks of halved fried-spam kimchi grilled cheese sandwiches on a wood board, next to a bowl of red-brown dipping sauce.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
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A tangy, porky spin on a classic, Matty Mathesonā€™s grilled cheese is stacked with thick, hearty slices of Spam and a heap of tangy kimchi in a recipe from his cookbook ā€œSoups, Salads, Sandwiches.ā€

When using a half can of Spam per sandwich by slicing the whole thing into four meaty steaks, the ground-pork product is the centerpiece; for a more equal ratio of ingredients, try halving the amount of Spam by slicing the steaks thinner and still using two steaks (albeit smaller ones) per sandwich. (Wondering what to do with leftover Spam? Try cubing and searing it, then adding it to fried rice.)

Matheson also subverts conventional grilled cheese method by using a skilletā€™s residual heat to warm the bread as the sandwich is built ā€” but itā€™s primarily cooked in the oven, not on the stove. Itā€™s an untraditional, kimchi-brightened version of one of the worldā€™s most famous sandwiches, made all the more unique thanks to a gochugaru-flecked garlicky dipping sauce.

ā€œThere really is something special about Spam,ā€ Matheson writes. ā€œI think itā€™s one of the greatest and most versatile ingredients. It could be fried or grilled or smoked or boiled. Any way you cook it is fire, but here it becomes this perfect storm of flavor with fatty Spam, tangy, crunchy kimchi, buttery fried bread, and the cream town USA American cheese. This is just about as good as it gets.ā€

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Matty Matheson's fried-Spam kimchi grilled cheese sandwich

For the sandwich
For the dipping sauce
1

For the sandwich: Slice the Spam into four steaks for thicker, Spam-forward sandwiches, or into eight steaks (and use only four of them) for a thinner and crispier Spam filling. Drain the kimchi and chop it finely. Pull out as much kimchi liquid as possible by draining the liquid off and pressing a lot of the juice out using kitchen or paper towels.

2

In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and sear the Spam until itā€™s a nice golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Set the Spam aside and wipe out the pan.

3

Using margarine or butter, butter one side of each slice of bread. ā€œUse margarine if you are a margarine person like I am, because I never have room-temp butter,ā€ Matheson says.

4

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. ā€œThe key to a grilled cheese,ā€ Matheson says, ā€œis to also put it in the oven.ā€

5

In the same pan you used to cook the Spam, place two slices of bread, buttered side down. Top one piece with two slices of the marbled cheddar and the other with one slice of the American cheese. Put two slices of Spam on the American cheese side, side by side, and kimchi on the marbled cheese side. Flip your Spam side onto the kimchi. Put the sandwich on a baking sheet.

6

Repeat by putting the remaining slices of bread into the pan and building your second sandwich. Place the second sandwich onto the baking sheet and into the oven.

Flip every 2 to 3 minutes for about 10 minutes. ā€œFlip flip flip, itā€™s oozy, itā€™s cheesy, and the bread is nice and crusty,ā€ Matheson says.

7

Cut each grilled cheese in half, right down the middle. A piece of Spam should be found in each half.

8

For the dip: In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, Sriracha, hoisin, gochugaru, garlic powder and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. ā€œGet a couple of [sandwich] bites in and then dip it,ā€ Matheson says. ā€œOr eat half and then eat the other half dipped. Or dip it from the first bite. If I dip, we dip, we dip, dip.ā€

Adapted from ā€œMatty Matheson: Soups, Salads, Sandwiches: A Cookbook.ā€ Published by Ten Speed Press (2024)