Frying the Spam will transform it, more chewy, more texture on the outside, and less fat content. Or better still, fry some Corned Beef. Elevate back to a nine. Cheers from the UK.
Stephen Walker haven’t tried canned beef but. But plan on doing a follow up video with all the good advice and recipes I’m being suggested! So stay tuned!
@@BackcountryForward On a hot plate, or they will roll back their mattress, scrap off the paint of steel bunk and use it like a skillet. They will wedge the hot plate under the bunk up against the metal. I'm not sure if they are still allowed to have the heater coils anymore. They used to yank them out of electric coffee pots as well.
Backcountry Forward I call it “Jealous Chicken” since turkey is normally associated with stuffing. I have it the first night on the trail since the chicken is the heaviest part of the meal.
Cthulhu 669 I’ve never had retention issues precisely because I’m mindful of my electrolytes... I’m a roofer by trade so I know how to avoid dehydration.
I FINALLY Got around to making some of the suggestions everyone gave me! Are you ready for THE RAMEN BOMB REMIX?!?! RU-vid Video Here: geni.us/RamenRemixComment Ps. This time I finally used tried real spam!
@Jazzie Red Luncheon meat, in the Netherlands known as Smac, is a piece of very fine ground meat without taste or structure glued together and then canned. I bought some cans. Tried one and gave the rest away. Spam. We have shoulder ham mix from Unox which is fairly good and at a reasonable price.
That sounds awesome! My buddies and I would keep a single portion of instant mashed potatoes on-hand that we'd spiked with spices and herbs, and on the last night of our outing, we'd rehydrate it and add all of our unused leftovers. The result was a lot like this, we called it "Musgo".
@@BackcountryForward I was so inspired by your ramen bomb video, that I had to try my own weird take on it: m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oQ5sSzqXQJE.html
If you break up the ramen into smaller pieces while it's in the original packaging you can eat it using a spoon without having six inches of noodle hanging off the spoon.
Nah man, bachelor chow has been Hamburger Helper for the last 30+ years now. That, or a box of mac and cheese, with diced and fried spam cubes tossed in if you're too broke for the glove love.
Yeah you definitely have to add to "starving after a long day" aspect into it. I was hiking and canoeing in the boundary waters a few years back and at the end of one day I ate some turkey in a can with instant gravy and instant mashed potatoes. Thought it was soooo good. Came home and made it a couple weeks later. It was NOT delicious. Haha. I'll try this bomb though. Being from MN, I can eat that stuff raw. Whole can. No problem. Love it.
Dude... that sounded sooooo good, and I was soooo hungry, I paused the vid, grabbed a lg. can of white chicken / garlic mashed potatoes / and chicken ramen (plus++ tabasco) and now I'm feasting. Never thought about adding the mashed potatoes. It's great. THNX.....
Lots of people use them for sous vide. They specifically need to be Ziploc brand. They're made from non toxic plastic and won't poison you if subjected to heat.
@@thmsvrgs "Sous vide, which means “under vacuum” in French, refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method." While this method can be used with ziplock bags and not vacuum bags, all the temps I see being used for this method do not use boiling water.
If you change out the canned meat for jerky, you can easily get many different flavors and also change your portion options. Everything being a dehydration/dry food means you can stretch out your meal use. Couple different packets of flavoring and a few different jerky choices and you could easily have a different dinner meal for a week. Also less pack weight and space. 👍🏼👊🏼🦁
Thanks a ton for the suggestion! I definitely agree with using half the potatoes... one pack was just WAY too much! Unfortunately we don't have spam singles up here in Canada (that I've been able to find at least), so if you're ever in the area feel free to bring us some! :P Thanks for the comment! Keep Moving Forward!
@@@BackcountryForward You are welcome! Halving the amount of potatoes and crushing up the Ramen makes the dish more cohesive, making it feel more like a single dish, instead of two dishes awkwardly commingling on your palate. Too bad about the Spam Singles, they are a great portable high calorie food. And of course Spam musubi is a good option for shorter day hikes when you do not want to do any cooking.
Honestly, I actually kind of liked the noodly texture. But I'll definitely try it crushed next time! And SPAM MUSUBI! BAHAHA that's the first I've ever seen or heard of that (I had to google). I've GOT to try that!
If you're hiking with another person, it would be fine. I'm 65 Years old, 6'3, 224 Pounds and in EXCELLENT physical condition for my age. I'm VERY active physically, still working and have a high metabolism. I REALLY like what you did here. It probably cost you HALF what a Mountain House F.D. Meal would have, and you got TWICE the food. I'm a Safety Officer / Disaster Response Officer in my Church, and I'm ALWAYS looking for simple and relatively inexpensive ideas to help people become better prepared for an emergency situation. I'd like to point out for your subscribers-I'm sure YOU know this-that backpacking techniques can EASILY be applied in an emergency / disaster / survival situation. MOST people, however, do NOT realize this, and this video has inspired me to develop a course I can teach to others WELL DONE, SIR!
J G I don’t know. Just reading his message as a member of that church I recognize some key terms and habits. Things like capitalizing Church as a stand alone noun, the emergency preparedness, safety officer/disaster response, etc. May well not be an LDS commentator, but I’d put my dollars on yes.
Bruce Forster wow! I’m so glad I could help give you some ideas! I’m all honesty, I’m probably not as aware of how my backpacking skills could be used in an emergency situation as I should be! But you’re right, if things went down, a quick stop by my gear room and I’d have everything I’d need to survive a week or more! I really think the idea of making a video or video series on backpacking for survival situations could be really cool! And I’d love to help with your course if there was any way I can. Maybe we can bounce some ideas off each other. Feel free to send me an email if you’d like! Cheers!
@@jibbacraftteamplays1282 You guys would lose. I'm a Seventh-Day Adventist, LOL! That being said, They elected me to my post because in my younger days, I fell on some TERRIBLE misfortune, and ended up living in vehicles for FOUR YEARS. By the Grace of God and my wife of 31 Years as of the 23rd of this Month, I managed to claw my way out of that. My interest in preparedness and being able to respond to and mitigate a Disaster situation has NOTHING to do with my, or anyone else's religious beliefs. (HAD to say that to keep RU-vid's Thought Police at bay!). It IS true, however. My knowledge was gained at the cost of many lonely, cold, and hungry nights sleeping in a Van. I'm willing to share my knowledge freely if it will help people: A. Become better prepared for tough times. B. Save you money in the process. C. SAVE LIVES!
Fry: That's the saltiest thing I've ever tasted. And I once ate a big, heaping bowl of salt! Bender: Oh, come on! That food was fine! The salt content was 10% less than a lethal dose! Zoidberg: Uh oh. I shouldn't have had seconds.
@@BackcountryForward I saw some other salty meal comments on this video. This quote was from the funniest scene from Futurama. I'm sure your meal was 20% less than the lethal dose though, jk. But after such a long day hiking, the sodium is needed.
I stumbled across this video mostly randomly. Still I think this meal has a lot of room for variation depending on the flavor or Ramen, the potatoes and even the SPAM used. Not even counting the off brand varieties the SPAM brand has several flavors, including a smoked one, and I think a low sodium one. This also reminds me of a dish friends introduced me to, never made it camping, but it might work. It was a package of hot dogs cut into chunks. A can of baked beans, and a prepared package of the deluxe mac & cheese (with the wet sauce). Later attempts at making it "gourmet" added a pound of bacon and a large onion fried in the bacon grease. We always called it "The Goulash".
My mamaw made fried spam sandwichs. Pan fry SPAM and pan fry a ring of canned pineapple. Sandwich both on toasted bread with mayo. Meal fit for a king!
I plan on trying nearly all the other recipes in the comments and making a separate video for that! Stay tuned! Glad you found this review helpful! Keep Moving Forward!
I am a one-legged bicycle ridding 68-year-old physician. I suggest Big Lots Bear Creek dry soup mixes with 16oz of Barley, coarse grits or cracked wheat. Rice has arsenic. That is 64 oz very thick soap mix which is easily divisible into 16 oz dry mix units in baggies without any cans to carry out. Also Sam's Wholesale 48 oz Tropical fruit mix (~$14) and Walmart Great Value Omega-3 Trail Mix 22oz (~$7). Also a general vitamin/ day. Also bringing an 18-pound dutch oven for bread making is totally ridiculous either use whole grains as above or bagged roles in a plastic bag. All trash will fit into just one Tropical Trail mix bag which seals and is very light and compact. Also, you could just bring a large bag of grits and add foraged weeds like purslane. Leave no trace and be no trace.
Not a backpacker, but made this once! Not a whole bag of potatoes, but 2/3 spoonfuls with canned chicken. Omg. It was amazing. My husband couldn’t believe it when I told him what I did. 😂😂😂
I've made this for YEARS (my wife thinks I'm disgusting for eating it lol)! I legitimately had no idea it was a big thing at all. All that aside, it's because of this video you have a new subscriber.
Haha my friends and family have judged me hard for eating (and posting) this! As long as its helped and inspired some people, right? Thanks for the comment and the sub, welcome to the journey!
The algorithm is insane. I literally just came from a prison video where an inmate makes this. The contrast in surroundings is quite profound and that’s an epic understatement 😮
Thanks so much! I’ll be doing more ramen bomb varieties this summer over on my other channel Outbound Jesse. (This video will be removed from this channel shortly)
I did this in Yellowstone. We bought 8 Spam Single Classic packets, a different Ramen every night, and a different potato. We found that pan frying or 'stick searing' (cook it over the fire like a hot dog) was what gave it that really, really good flavor. 10-15 miles a day and this put me down for the night. I slept like a baby. Honestly though, I would rather make my own spaghetti and dehydrate than have this. It's lighter, stays good for months, and is about as calorie dense as this meal is. You can buy a pack of angel hair spaghetti, any sauces you want, and as long as you use very lean beef, boil it, and rinse with boiling water (so all the fats are washed out) you can add as much or as little to your 'to be' dehydrated spaghetti as you want. Honestly, I love it. But - this recipe you made is totally acceptable after an entire day on the trail. Well done :)
My buddy Matt from Matty Outdoors is ALL about his dehydrated spaghetti... I really want to try making my own one day for sure! Do you make any other dehydrated meals? (Ps. Sorry for such a delayed response!) Keep Moving Forward!
@@BackcountryForward anything with low fat. Or, if you are having something that might have higher fat content, vacuum seal it. I’ve made a ton of chili beef and Mac, three bean green chili chili, pretty much anything you make at home. Just skip on oils and fats where you can if you dehydrate. If you use chicken, buy the canned stuff and break it up into small shreds. It dehydrates and rehydrates better. For beef, ALWAYS mix the beef with breadcrumbs first. This helps the beef not turn to ‘gravel’. I’ll put it this way. If you can make it at home, it’ll dehydrate for a week long trip just fine. Actually, this would be a great topic for you to cover. Although there is a plethora of these videos out there. Either way. Thanks for reaching out. Keep enjoying life bud.
Everything tastes better in the woods. When I backpack camp, I take and happily eat foods that I can't stand at home. Must be something to do with all that fresh air!
Definitely too much food for one person's single meal. Suggestion: eat your fill, then chill the the remainder in stream or lake overnight--one can build a rock cairn over it to keep raccoons and such out of the larder. Form patties from the chilled leftovers in the morning and brown them in a little hot oil in a skillet. It's yummy, and all the better if you packed in a couple fresh eggs to fry along with the browning patties.
@@BackcountryForward Thank you, Jesse, for the kind words. I had to return for another visit to add, if you don't mind, some additional comments. Reviewing commentary posted here from other viewers, I see that I was not the first to suggest frying as a means to enhance flavor (via The Maillard reaction) of Spam and comparable products. However, at least as far as I have read, no one has mentioned topping a portion while it is still frying with a slice of one's favorite cheese. Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack all suit me, especially when topped with a packet of picante sauce salvaged from a fast food restaurant visit (I see I am not the only one who does that either). Those of more patrician tastes and incomes might opt for other varieties. The technique works best, in my estimate, if one browns a side of their Spam slices, then turns them over to brown the off-side. Place slices of cheese, which will melt while the off-side is browning, slightly smaller that the luncheon meat dimensions onto the already browned surface. Placing a lid on the pan will speed the melting process. Cut up with fried or scrambled eggs, the cheese-topped slices make a dandy breakfast that will stave off hunger pangs for at least half of a day of strenuous hiking, unlike that favorite of many backpackers: instant oatmeal. Alternatively, use them in sandwiches or tortilla rolls to eat at lunch break. The aforementioned salsa or stone ground Dijon mustard are the condiments I prefer; but each to their own. When backpacking in Spring, freshly-picked Miners Lettuce or Oxalis (Wood sorrel) will greatly enhance such a lunch. Dandelion works, too, for those with a palette for bitter. As the year progresses, Water cress becomes an enticing option. Another consideration for canned lunch meats: the tastes vary significantly from the brand name Spam in some cases. The brand name product has, except when on killer sales, inflated in price beyond my own meager budget. This is not a problem, as I have found a couple brands that I actually prefer for significantly lesser cost. However, I recommend anyone buy a single can of an untasted product from discount or dollar stores and try it at home before stocking up; and especially before packing such weight into the backcountry. I bought several cans of another well-known brand in a liquidation store only to discover that I could barely stomach the taste--good thing it was not several cases, which I do purchase at times when the quality is know to me. Anyone who has tried the products knows that canned lunch meats are fatty food. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially during cold weather and winter camping. Eating fat at one's evening meal will make for a warmer night's sleep. A person's metabolism works a little harder and longer to digest fat than it does for carbs, resulting in the body producing more internal heat. Well, Jesse, I hope you didn't mind my long-winded commentary about one of my favorite low-budget camp foods. I have others; together with strategies built around them both with, and without, freeze-dried meals for extended duration and severe condition backpacking adventures.
Will Long wow! Well worded and great input! Thanks for the advice! You sound like a wealth of knowledge. Why don’t you send me an email, I’d like to hear more of your thoughts! (Whether on this or other budget meal ideas!) Let’s keep this conversation Moving Forward! 😁
@@BackcountryForward Thanks for the compliment Jesse. I'd be happy to continue the conversation--I sent you my email via the message function on your Backcountry Forward, Face Book page. Be advised, though, I am likely to be haphazard in my response times, since I am overwhelmed with tasks right now. (I really shouldn't be spending much time viewing YT videos; but wild country is my refuge, and I'll journey there vicariously when I need a break and can't spare the time for a trip in person.)
I make macaroni and cheese with somewhat less water than directed. Instead of draining the macaroni, I mix in cheesy broccoli mashed potato powder, but just before I add sliced Longlife fake hotdogs. The big ones come in a sealed fivepack which I start out on the trail with frozen solid. Since they're not meat, I get two days by just keeping the leftovers cool. I usually dump on top one of those tiny single serving cans of Bush's baked beans. It's a gorging amount of really pretty good comfort food.
Love the honesty 🤣. As someone who is 50 years old, I have never tried SPAM or any variation of it (although Pork Roll is just heavenly even though it’s not the same thing but it’s another processed meat product). That said, I actually purchased two cans of SPAM recently for an upcoming camping trip, and I will be trying this very concoction myself. Thank you for doing this video (oh and I just subbed) 👍🏻
I like your attitude 😂 you've got a subscribe from me. As with the previous comments, you must fry the spam thinly like it's bacon and it's game changing. Not fond of uncooked spam and ABSOLUTELY love fried spam. Looking forward to more videos. Cheers.
Joseph Remington thanks for the compliment! And welcome to the journey! I DEFINITELY have to try the spam fried... I actually can’t believe I haven’t yet!
Great video! I tried it today, and it was pretty darn good! Try cutting the spam thin, and cooking it first. Pretty sure that 1 out of 10 will move back up! Raw spam is gross!
I like pepperoni in Ramen with dried veggies(your favorite ones) from harmony house or hard salami added or both , of course some crushed red pepper flakes , if u like it hot
@@BackcountryForward I'm usually a 1 carb/starch at a time kind of guy as shown in the link below. While it takes more planning/effort/money to incorporate (non-potato) veggies, the registered dietitian in me would say it's worth it for those who are willing and able (instead of doubling down on starchy carbs). If seasoned right, dehydrated veggies really do blend into the background similar to starchier options IMHO. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-L0-sAcn4zLQ.html
Uncle Ben's instant rice and your choice of bouillon cubes of chicken rice beef and rice some salt and a little Italian herb and cold Apple cider hard apple cider oh yeah yum
Use a two slice pack of the Real ( Honest ) Spam ( Single serving size ). Fry it in the pot before boiling any water. Get it nice and crisp on the outside with a slight soft center. It will remind you of thick cut Bacon. Add it ( cut up ) to the bag with the rest except for the water. Put the water in your pot with the grease from the Fried Spam and get it to a near or actual boil. Add the water to the bag , stir it and wait for a couple of minutes for the noodles ( Ramen ) to reconstitute. Making the bomb this way ( boiling water last ) will help to clean the pot.
2 tips bud.... the flavour packet, throw half of it in there when you boil it and then save the other half so you can sprinkle it after youre ready to dig it, also crush up a small bag of your favorite chips and wallah you got yourself a really filling dish for cheap :)
You can also do this with tuna. I like to a) skip the Ramen flavor packet, b) use about half the mashed potatos, c) use tuna instead (one can or two packets), and d) add one of my favorite "secret" pack recipe ingredients - powdered cream (not powdered milk, powdered cream). For variety, you can swap out the powdered cream for a dollop of tomato paste (Trader Joe's sells tubes of it that are great on trail).
Christopher Cornette I have a confession... I’ve never actually tried BRAND NAME spam. Supposedly what I ate in this video is a completely different product altogether and is known to taste like hot dogs.... so one day I’ll try the real thing!
haha who knew that it would draw such controversy. In all honesty, it was like 2 bucks cheaper... but I've since been informed its not even the same thing as spam. who knew!
This is basically a variation of the old 80's camping recipe of quickly cooking in a skillet one can of corned beef hash mixed with one can of spaghettios. Meal for two done in a few minutes!
wlehtola Nope.... you’re incorrect. Ram-bomb is badass & truly the only way to go. Would it help if I respelled it “Rom-bomb” for you? Probably not.... you’d then pronounce “rom” as if it had a macron or diaeresis over the “o”, again giving it a different meaning.
We do this meal for scouts. You can change the protein to Chicken. Its a really good meal for cold weather cause it keeps your hands warm while eating (and insides). Could use some veggies (haven't found the right one yet). Also if you don't want all the sodium, don't add the season packet. I like my with "Slap your mama" cajun spice!
trade out spam for canned beef or chicken. It gets it "weird" flav from it being cured pork in a salt brine. So if that isn't or savor, grab some beef jerky and add in. :-)
I know this video is pretty old at this point but it showed up in my recommended again lol. After I tried the ramen bomb I ventured into trying other proteins than spam and I can recommend trying other proteins in place of the spam. personally tuna was a great substitute. Also for me to enjoy spam I have to thin slice or cube it and brown it first.
Thanks so much for this (and sorry for such a late reply!).... I just released a new video where I try tuna in one of the "remixes".... except I add something else that ruins it in my mind. Thanks for the input and comment! Keep Moving Forward!
@@BackcountryForward i call them the BACKCOUNTRY BURRITO.... also do the same thing with eggs for BACKCOUNTRY BREAKFAST BURRITOS (no stove top....) y"all dont have Easy Cheese up there? Comes in different flavors (like Spam) mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, cheddar and bacon is my favorite.... wonder if ebay might be an option...? Enjoy...
Great review! I keep hearing about the Ramen Bomb, but have yet to try it. The turn off for me is how filling it is. Maybe do a half a pack of potatoes?
Definitely! The key is to pre-portion this meal. That’s what I do going forward. Half a thing of potatoes, half a can of spam and ramen works great. (You can even half the ramen and it’d still be pretty filling).
I’m too food obsessed(chef in SF, CA)... I’d go so crazy with my weird packaged Asian ramen(top faves are Japanese tonkotsu, anything spicy seafood and Chinese roast duck with five spice🦆🤤🤤🤤 that go for about $.15-25 cents a bag for 2 cups worth from my Asian market ) and I’d take peanut butter only to mix with fish sauce and shrimp noodles for a Thai style saucy noodle. I’m so extra I know. But I think I could do a good job packaging it all super lightweight. I have also found some $1 packs of Freeze Dried miso soup portions(seriously don’t weight anything at all, a thin .4 x 1”x1.5” block) with seaweed, tofu, and Welch onion slices. Stoopid good, I found them at Daiso or you can find them online like Amazon. I’d love to get a freeze dryer but I have yet to find a suitcase with at least 3k wash up on The Bay. But if I do find one...I may start to sell budget-friendly, Uber-light, gourmet backpacking meals on Etsy or something. Probably with a focus on Mexican food and other cultural foods. 😎✌🏼💃🏻 That’d be special AF to me on trail🌲🌳🌴🌵🌱🌎🌏🌍
I LOVE that dream of yours! Who knows... maybe 3k will wash up one day! And if it does, PLEASE remember to reach out to me, I'd love to try some of your authentic trail tacos or dehydrated tikka masala (or whatever you decide to make)! Don't say never... just start small and take baby steps...maybe start with dehydrated meals... then upgrade! And then... Keep Moving Forward! Love these ideas!
@@BackcountryForward ramen, fish sauce, a little peanut butter, some sriracha or sambal, chopped scallions. I used to experiment with cheap foods to see what I could make, it's not bad
I use to make something very similar when hunting. I used chipped beef. It is not gourmet food, but it was cheap, filling, hot and I didn't think it tasted bad at all.
Great video! I've never had a ramen bomb, but this video makes me feel like I tried it. Seems too carb loaded for my personal digestion. Might be good with corn.
@@BackcountryForward carbs are delicious and satisfying, that's for sure. I am a little older than you, so these days, I have to remind myself that even when I am camping and hiking, that is real life too. I try to eat stuff that I would eat at home and not eat stuff that my wife would squawk at like really starchy foods. These days, I dry a lot of vegetables so I can have them as a main food component on the trail.
Firstly, use real spam, it is just ham and pork shoulder. I use jalapeno from Amazon for about $3 bucks a can. And yes, fry the meat first. Then use a 3 cheese potato bag.Lastly, I substitute Golden Curry for the soup packet. Great outdoor food.
Me and my kids tried this today with beef ramen noodles. We didn't have spam so I sliced up hot dogs and threw in some frozen corn while the water was boiling. It was a hit!
Instead of meat (which I find too heavy to carry) I wonder if dehydrated refried beans might make for a good substitute? Plenty of fiber, a good amount of calories, and inexpensive. Guess I know what's for lunch :)
manbeastx69 I learnt that lesson on this trip! But to be honest, I do enjoy the unpredictability and sincerity of my reactions when I haven’t tried them. So I think in the future I’ll continue to keep in untested. I’m not super picky I can stomach most things even if I’m not crazy about it! Haha others aren’t so fortunate. Thanks for the comment!
