You start by frying up some regular flavored Spam, then grab some guacamole; homemade salsa that includes red wine vinegar and honey; some thinly sliced cheese; some of Colorado’s own Big Jim’s peppers (jalapenos will work too) and then place all of that on some Kings Hawaiian Sweet Bread.

The end result is a mini nacho Spam burger, this year’s winner of the Great American Spam Contest.

“It looks like heck, but when you eat it, it’ll bite your socks off,” says Ron Pearman of Colorado Springs, the inventor of the concoction that made him $3,000 richer.

The annual contest is heading into its 20th year and features the 40 winners from each of the regional competitions that are hosted by county and state fairs throughout the country.

The final entries are then judged right here in Austin, where Pearman’s recipe emerged as the winner last month.

“His recipe … was a twist to a basic Spamburger/hamburger recipe,” says Jaynee Sherman, product manager for the Spam family of products, who praised Pearman’s ingredient selection. “It gave it that really salty, savory, sweet flavor with an extra zing that really made your mouth just explode with all of these great flavors.”

Sherman says the regional contests are held at fairs that have a strong interest in culinary contests as well as have a love for Spam.

She adds the popularity of the event continues to grow.

“People really come out and give their best to make delicious Spam recipes,” Sherman says. “Anyone is eligible for the contest who doesn’t have an association with Hormel Foods.”

A few years ago, the Great American Spam Contest was split into two categories, one for ages 7 to 17 and one for ages 18 and older. Both feature the 40 winners from the regional contests.

This year’s kids competition was won by McKenna Peden, who made a Spamkins breakfast muffin that pulls in flavors of egg, Spam and French Toast with a syrup-flavored topping.

“It was a delicious sweet little muffin,” Sherman says. “It was the perfect breakfast item.”

Rumor has it that McKenna, who is in the third grade, left one out for Santa Claus this year.

For her efforts, she received $2,000.

“McKenna did an excellent job,” Sherman says.

This year’s theme for the contest was “appetizers,” and Pearman says he basically used what was around the kitchen.

His entry is a Spam version of the popular “slider” or mini burger, with plenty of key ingredients, such as the King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread.

“Nothing but,” Pearman says. “You just can’t use dinner rolls.”

Pearman says the $3,000 prize money came just in time as he and his wife are about to adopt their second special needs child from China. They already have four kids total.

“It’s like we had an angel,” he says.

Spam is a comfort food for Pearman, a software engineer who used to eat the canned meat with his father on hunting trips.

“It’s ready to carry, it’s portable and it tastes good,” he says.

Another touted entry in this year’s Great American Spam Contest in the adult division was the Spam shooters, which consist of a double shot glass filled with lettuce, tomato, a ranch dressing mixture, Spam and crackers crumbled on top.

“The competition was great this year,” Sherman says.

But there was only one winner, Pearman, who is a local celebrity in Colorado Springs and whose family crowned him “The Spam King.”

“I have 15 years of formal education and what am I known for? Spam,” he says with a laugh.