bacon jam

“What the heck is Bacon Jam?” you say… And to that, I say “delicious, spreadable goodness.”

I could seriously eat this stuff on anything.

Grilled Cheese? Sure. Fried Egg Sandwich? Indeed. Blueberry Pancakes? Um, yes. Cheeseburger? Yooooou, betchya. Old Shoe? Okay, you got me. So, maybe not on anything. But trust me when I say, it’s good. Really, really good.

This year for my birthday, Jonny got me a few new cookbooks, my favorite being “Breakfast for Dinner.” It’s among that goldmine of food porn that I found the original inspiration for this recipe. I slightly altered their recipe by subbing out a few seasonings and adding in a tart Granny Smith apple, cider and honey.

The result? Deeeeelicious. Savory, sweet, tart… maybe even a little umami.

Yup, the gang’s all here.

Bacon Jam
(makes about 2 cups)
1 lb thick sliced slab bacon (cut crosswise into 1/2″ pieces)
1 large sweet white onion (chopped)
1 Granny Smith apple (peeled, seeded and chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp light brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp fresh orange zest
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup bourbon

Tip: Prep all of your ingredients so they’re measured and on hand before you start, so all you need to do is add everything to the skillet when you’re ready. HUGE time saver. The French call this ‘mise en place’, pronounced ‘mi zã ‘plas.’ Wow, I feel so smart right now.

To make your new favorite condiment, heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it starts to brown. Transfer it to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon. Drain all but around 2 tbsp of the bacon fat from the skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onions, apple and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn. Return the bacon to the skillet and add the coffee, vinegar, apple cider, honey, brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, pepper and salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly until everything is finely chopped. Return the mixture to the pan and cook for another 15 minutes, then add the bourbon and gently simmer for 30 more minutes, or until the jam is thickened and dark in color.

Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly before storing. Refrigerated in an airtight container, the jam will keep for 3 – 4 weeks. If you don’t wolf it all down before then.

My first Bacon Jam experience was on a perfectly toasted, grilled cheddar on French bread sandwich…

And that’s all it took. I’m now an official Bacon Jam Junkie.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

(Recipe slightly adapted from “Breakfast for Dinner”)