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