Bourbon Bacon Jam
Fri, May 21, 2010
Appetizers and Dips, Bacon, Cooking, Featured Articles, Recipes
I have been meaning to make this recipe for a long while now.
Ever since Kevin on Top Chef and Lisa at Homesick Texan made their versions of bacon jam I have been dreaming of the day when I would make mine. Like any jam you can make it any flavor you like best. I like bourbon and I like maple syrup. Those flavors, with their earthy caramel notes and natural sweetness, are the perfect foil to salty, smoky bacon.
I recommend you get the best quality bacon you can find. If you can find thick cut Applewood smoked I would suggest you use that because it has a nice smoke flavor that will not overpower the jam as the bacon mixture reduces. Good quality bourbon is also a suggestion I would make. Don’t go crazy and use best quality, but please do not use anything in a plastic bottle for this. The maple syrup, however, should not be the very best quality. Any B grade will be fine here because you want the deep maple flavor and the sweetness, but since it is not the star don’t spend the money. Serve this jam on toast, in a panini, on a buttermilk biscuit, with sliced apples, or with some sharp cheddar cheese. I will not disappoint.
Bourbon Bacon Jam Yield 1 1/2 cups
1 pound thick-cup applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4″ thick slices
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch fresh grated nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon dry chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup good quality bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon hot sauce
In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the bacon pieces until the begin to crisp at the edges but are still soft in the center, about 1 – 1 1/2 minutes per side. Set aside to drain. Pour all but one tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the pan.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the onion and brown sugar. Cook until the onions are well caramelized, about twenty minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook an additional five minutes.
Add the liquid ingredients and the bacon to the pan. Increase the heat to medium heat bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about two hours. Check the mixture every 30 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry add a few tablespoons of water. You want the final mixture to be moist and very sticky.
Let the mixture cool slightly them put it into the bowl of a food processor, or blender, and pulse about 20 times, or until it reaches your preferred consistency. (I prefer mine slightly chunky so you really notice the bacon)
Enjoy, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
UNREAL!!! This is by far the best thing I have ever found on a blog. You know the way to my heart.
Be careful, bacon jam is addictive!
Wow – incredible!!!! A bacon lovers dream come true.
Mmm… bacon… what’s not to like!?
How can you go wrong with bacon! Then add the bourbon and you have a masterpeice. This is a must make. TY for sharing.
This look so tempting!
you have reminded how much i want to make this in the very near future. i’m pretty sure i’ll be having a jam day sometime soon, and this will have to be included. thanks for the mouth watering reminder!
Ooooooh bacon
I too have been waiting for a chance to try to make this. Thanks for sharing, this looks great!
What a great recipe, sounds really tasty with a little zing from the chipotle. Thanks for the intense recipe, now you have me dreaming of your jam all day.
Wow, that is so unusual and I am sure amazing to eat. Thanks!
A bacon jam sounds so good!
This is going to rival fig jam for my most favorite thing to spread on sandwiches. Or eat out of the jar with a spoon. Who am I kidding. Or pour into my mouth out of the jar. Unabashedly. Awesome.
I didn’t think you could improve on bacon, but I was wrong. Add bourbon and you have an almost perfect food!!!
I made this jam on Wednesday for a dinner party I was hosting. Our parish priest was coming to bless our new house. Everyone that tried it LOVED it, and this weekend after mass, Father commented on how good the meal was and especially, the Bourbon Bacon Jam. Even my dad, who has become kind of picky in his old age, really liked it. I even forgot the part of running it through the food processor, and other than being really chunky, it’s just fine, and of course, my guests knew no different. Make it–you won’t regret it!
Nice, I’d like to try this on top of some bacon and cheddar cookies, ha.
I’m making this for a bacon cook off some friends of mine have every year..last year was the first and a 12 year old made bacon brittle and won…this year I hope to win with this jam…sounds amazing!!!!