Pepper Bacon Jam
Oh I know….bacon jam…it’s ridiculous….but it’s ridiculously fantasticly amazingly delicious! I mean it’s like liquid gold…if gold was brown and bacony!
I have to admit that at first glance, probably not the prettiest thing you will look at. BUT don’t judge the book by its cover. The taste will blow you away.
I first heard of bacon jam on Pinterest (no kidding, right?) I must say that at first I was thinking: “please that’s just weird”. Then, like anything else in my life I got taken into a moment of weakness and trying to figure out an appetizer to take to our friends tonight. So I thought: “I wonder if I make the bacon jam peppery and spicy….could that work?” OH BOY does it work!
I did read quite a few recipes, but the one I liked best was from Dax Phillips on Tasty Kitchen, although Dax uses a crockpot and a few different spices (no jalapenos or pepper bacon). I do like how he “attacks” the recipe.
Here is the link to his bacon jam: Simple Comfort Food
Here is the link to his bacon jam on Tasty Kitchen: Tasty Kitchen
Here’s my crazy idea:
Pepper Bacon Jam
Ingredients:
1 pound pepper bacon
1 onion diced
2 garlic gloves crushed and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Maple syrup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (organic is best)
3/4 cup strong coffee (cooled)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
How to:
In a large dutch oven cook your bacon until crispy but not burnt. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Empty all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from dutch oven. Add your diced onion, garlic and jalapenos. Cook on medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add all of your other ingredients. Bring to a boil and add your reserved bacon. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until you have a soft and “gooey/jammy” (!) mixture. Using an immersion blender puree your mixture until you have your desired consistency.
After an hour or so, this is what you should see
Here’s the consistency I was looking for
Serve with a fresh baguette thinly sliced.
sweet, peppery, slightly spicy…ALL YUMMY!
So delicious!
Note: you could also put your jam in a food processor if you don’t have an immersion blender.
By the way, when I told Sunshine and Bear that I was taking this Bacon Jam to our friends house they were both quite disappointed….especially since I had them do a taste test, they didn’t think it was fair that it would leave our house!
Printer Friendly: Pepper Bacon Jam
Peace and Jam it up,
Isabelle
Visit Isabelle’s blog at Isabelle at Home