Bacon Jam Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S BACON JAM

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy and the rendered fat is foaming, about 10 minutes. Pour bacon and rendered fat into a strainer placed over a bowl to drain fat. When fat is drained and bacon is cool enough to handle, remove bacon to a cutting board and finely chop.
• Return pot to medium heat; drizzle 2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat and butter in pan. Saute onions and 1 teaspoon salt until soft and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir brown sugar, sherry vinegar, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, black pepper, and cayenne into onion mixture; add bacon. Stir water into bacon mixture and cook until jam is a brick-brown bacon color and has a jam consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme into jam; stir until shiny and heated through.

BACON JAM

Steps:

• Add the bacon to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it's just starting to brown slightly and render its fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the chopped onions and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and almost melting into the bacon fat, 30 to 40 minutes. If the pan starts to look dry or is browning too much, add a splash of water to deglaze.
• Stir in the brown sugar, cayenne pepper and grated garlic, then add the balsamic vinegar. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Pulse until the bacon is chopped slightly finer, 5 to 6 pulses.
• To serve, top the toast with the bacon jam and garnish with chopped chives.

BACON JAM

Steps:

• Cook and stir bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until bacon starts to brown, about 10 minutes; drain grease, retaining 1/4 of the drippings. Stir onions into bacon and drippings; cook and stir until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in brown sugar; cook until onions are sticky and browned, about 5 more minutes. Mix in garlic, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook and stir until garlic is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in bourbon whiskey, coffee, sherry vinegar, and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook until the bacon jam is thickened but not completely dry, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, about 35 minutes. Mix in ketchup and cook 5 more minutes.
• Remove from heat, let the bacon jam cool, and pulse in a food processor to a slightly chunky, spreadable consistency. Bacon jam will store in the refrigerator, covered, up to 2 weeks.

HOMEMADE BACON JAM

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet. Chop the bacon into small pieces, then put them back in the skillet.
• Put the bacon skillet over medium-high heat, add the brown sugar, molasses, honey, cider vinegar, sherry, garlic powder, mustard powder, shallots and garlic and bring the mixture to a slight boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer until syrupy, 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a canning jar and refrigerate. Enjoy within 2 days.

BACON JAM

Steps:

• Fry the bacon in a large non-stick pan for 5-10 mins mins until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Turn the heat to low and cook the onion in the bacon fat for 15-20 mins until soft and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic, sugar, cider vinegar, bourbon, maple syrup, coffee and the bacon.
• Cook slowly for 25-30 mins, stirring occasionally until thick and syrupy. Turn off the heat, leave to cool for a few mins, then carefully tip everything into a food processor. Pulse briefly to chop into small pieces, then leave the mixture to cool before packing it into two sterilised jars. Will keep for up to one month in the fridge.

SLOW-COOKER BACON JAM

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.
• Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.

BACON-ONION JAM

Steps:

• Set a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is completely rendered and the bacon has started to crisp, approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
• Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot, and add the onions, mustard seed, brown sugar, vinegar and 3 tablespoons of water. Stir to combine, then cover the pot, lower the heat and allow the mixture to cook undisturbed for 15 or 20 minutes. Remove the top, stir again and then partly cover the pot. Allow the mixture to cook until most of the liquid is gone and the onions have achieved a dark brown jamminess, approximately 60 to 70 minutes. (Add a little more water as needed.)
• Taste the jam, and add salt and pepper if necessary.
• Remove mixture from heat, and allow to cool slightly. Spoon the jam into a jar or bowl, then allow to cool completely. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.