SPAMSILOG - SPAM with Fried Eggs and Garlic Fried Rice

This delicious and hearty breakfast of Spamsilog originates from the Philippines. It’s quick and easy to throw together and is sure to get your family through the morning, with plenty of energy to last them through the day!

”Silog” is the term used to designate breakfast platters involving garlic fried rice, fried eggs and a choice of meat or fish. It’s name is derived from a blend of two words in Tagalog: 1) Sinangag (fried rice) and 2) Itlog (egg). The meat/fish can include sausages, beef, roasted suckling pork, corned beef, dried milkfish, dried rabbit fish etc. The type of meat or fish - or rather it’s name - is simply added to the term “Silog” to determine which of the breakfast platters it is.

The Filipinos will also add a few healthy vegetables on the side, like tomatoes and cucumber, as well as a small dish of “sawsawan” (in Tagalog means “dip”) which is a spicy vinegar dip with chopped onions that helps “lighten” the overall nourishing dish.

My ultimate favorite “silog”’platter is the Lechonsilog, which is comprised of fried eggs, garlic fried rice and roasted baby pig with crispy skin (Lechon) which originates from Spain, but is probably considered to be the Philippines’ national dish. ! I would give anything to have that right now! 🤤

Other “Silog” platters are:

- Cornsilog: corned beef platter

- Chosilog: chorizo platter

- hotsilog: hotdog platter

- Longsilog: longanisa (Filipino sausage) platter

- Bangsilog: dried milk fish platter etc…

My kids on the other hand, love SPAM! To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan, but my kids enjoy eating fried SPAM with a side of fried eggs, and their Ate Paula’s garlic fried rice on weekends. It brings them back to the days of living in Manila. ❤️💙💛 So here, I have prepared a Valentine’s Day-themed Spamsilog for my loving children!

SERVINGS: 2

INGREDIENTS:

- 200 gms SPAM (sliced lengthwise into 1 cm slices)

- 2 cups cooked rice

- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

- 1 beef bouillon cube (broken up into powdered form)

- 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil

- 4 eggs

- 6 medium tomatoes (sliced into rounds)

- 1 Japanese cucumber (sliced diagonally into rounds)

METHOD:

1) OPTIONAL: using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut hearts out of the SPAM slices and set aside. Or simply leave as they are, in rectangular shapes.

2) remove cooked rice from rice cooker in place in a glass or metal bowl allowing it to cool and harden slightly.

3) Line the plates with several slices of tomatoes and cucumbers and set aside.

4) Heat a medium sized frying pan over low heat and add a little drizzle of cooking oil. Once it is hot enough, add the SPAM and allow to get slightly crispy on each side. It normally takes around two minutes for each side.

5) While the SPAM is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of neutral flavored vegetable oil in a deep pan such as a wok, and once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and allow to become golden. Add the rice, breaking up any lumps, followed by the powdered beef bouillon cube. Sauté until the rice has been completely covered by the garlic infused oil and bouillon cube powder and add salt to taste.

6) Heat another frying pan with a drizzle of vegetable oil and fry the eggs sunny side up. I normally heat the pan over low-medium heat, and once The pan is hot, I break the eggs into the pan and then cover immediately with a glass lid, for around 2 1/2 minutes until I see a white film developed over the yolks. The lid will trap steam and enable the cooking process to be more uniform.