Meat in a can?

A couple of months ago I was working on a Spam recipe for a contest.  Every time I mentioned it on Facebook, I always got a ton of comments/responses.  Outside of Hawaii, most people think of Spam and just cringe.  I figured I'd share this recipe to show that you can get great food out of that famous can.  To make it a little safer for the rest of us, I used cooked ham (country ham, in this case), instead of Spam.  If you want the original effect though, replace the ham with a 12 oz can of low sodium Spam, cubed.  One advantage of the Spam, or most processed ham products, in this recipe is that they will carmelize a bit during the sauteeing, which really helps improve their taste.

Ham and Asparagus in Sparkling Cider Sauce

1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 medium onion, large dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 cup sparkling cider
18 stalks asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1.  Put oil in pan over medium low.    Add onions, garlic and seasonings and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (don't let the onions burn!).
2.  Add the ham and turn the heat up to medium.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly.
3.  Remove pan from heat and carefully add the cider.  The cider will splatter a bit when it hits the hot oil, so be careful.
4.  Put pan back on burner and turn heat to high.  Add asparagus and cook for 4-6 minutes until asparagus is cooked, but still firm.
5.  Serve!  This dish is great with brown rice, or served over an end of crusty bread, as I did in the picture (though you can't see it under the meat and asparagus)