Canned MEAT

You name it, Roast Beef, Chicken, Tuna, Spam or Deviled Ham – whatever it is, as long as it is packed in a can, I love it. Now believe me I have taken a lot of ribbing over the years about this. Most people prefer their meat fresh cut and in a non-chunky or mashed pablum state.

Honestly I like all those meats in their natural condition too, but the truth is, fresh or frozen foods are kind of needy. They all NEED some kind of refrigeration, special handling, or fancy preparation to prevent you from getting sick. This is not true with the canned stuff. I can just open a rectangular ingot of canned Spam, scrape off that amber-colored gelatin goo, and eat it straight, happily bundled between two pieces of buttered bread.

Canned Tuna is great on crackers or mixed with a little mayo on a salad. But would you ever yank poor ol’ Charley the Tuna from his aquatic bliss and suck him down head-first like a seal? Yeah some of the old school Japanese folks might filet up a little tuna in the raw, but for the vast majority of us, we want our tuna dressed properly for dinner with a little salt and pepper.

Now I consider my uncanny canned meat obsession a by-product of my inherent need to survive. I can stock up on all my favorites and they will last for decades in the cupboard. Try that with that half a cow foil-wrapped meat puzzle that you have date-labeled in the freezer. You would think given all the obvious benefits, people like me should guard and protect their cans like gold. You are right – because aside from blogging, all I do is sit on my CAN all day and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands!