Pineapple Spam Baked Beans

Ingredients:
1 can hickory smoked Spam, cubed
1 onion, chopped
20 oz canned pineapple tidbits in juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb navy beans
6 oz tomato paste
1 tablespoon rum
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon toasted ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
sea salt
freshly ground pepper


Directions:
The day before you want to serve: Place the beans in a pot and fill until the beans are under about 4 inches of water.

The next day: drain the beans and pour them into the slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the spam. Cook on low 8-10 hours or until the beans are soft. Fry the Spam in a nonstick skillet until quite crisp and nearly caramelized around the 7 to 8 hour mark. Thoroughly drain the spam on paper towel lined plates. Stir into the Spam. If the beans are looking a little dry and are not quite done, add a little water or pineapple juice. Continue cooking at least 1/2 hour after adding the Spam. Stir before serving.

My thoughts:

What goes better with grilled foods than baked beans? The slow cooker is my favorite way to make them because there is no need to pre-cook the beans and they come out perfectly every time. I always put fruit and fruit juice in my beans because it adds moisture and natural sweetness without adding sugar or water. Why spam? Why not? It adds a great salty-hammy-savory note and holds its shape well. If you are spam-phobic, don't be, especially when browned, it is strangely addictive. No one I've served it to has ever complained!