Bacon Jam

Have you ever made bacon jam. I was watching this and started wondering what I would put it on. Maybe something for New Years day. https://www.facebook.com/ChefKevinGillespie/videos/vb.122311121913/10153295963186914/?type=2&theater

Made, no. But I have bought Stonewall Kitchen Maple Bacon Onion Jam and their Roasted Garlic & Onion Jam. Both are good with cream cheese on a bagel or English muffin, melted with brie, or on a grilled cheese sandwich or Croque Monsieur if you use a melty cheese other than Cheddar or American.

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I make it frequently, although as a low-carber my recipe is much different from this video or what you would buy in a jar - it’s entirely savory and quite spicy, sort of more like a potted meat or coarse pate than a true jam, since there is no sugar. I love it on eggs, or mixed with cream cheese (or goat cheese, any soft cheese really) as a filling/dip for vegetables, and of course it’s excellent in sandwiches (if I’m splurging on bread).

As a person with no sweet tooth that likes eating low carb, I’d love to hear your method!

I start with a couple of pounds of bacon (I prefer thick-cut - Wright’s, the brand in the OP’s link, is actually quite good if you can find it) and cook it until it’s well-rendered and on its way to being crisp, but still with some flexibility left to the meat. Remove the bacon from the pan and pour all but a couple of tablespoons of fat, then saute a chopped onion and some garlic in the fat until they’re soft and fragrant. Return the bacon to the pan and add a couple of chopped chipotles in adobo (how much depends on your desired heat level), some chili powder, any other seasonings you like (I usually use a pinch of cinnamon and allspice, and sometimes a little cocoa powder to add a bitter note), about a 1/4 c. of cider vinegar and a couple of cups of leftover coffee. If you want to add sweetener, do so at this point (I occasionally add just a tablespoon or so of maple syrup to round out the flavors, but it’s really not necessary. Splenda works fine too.).

Turn the heat down and braise for a couple of hours until the bacon is tender and all the flavors have melded, adding water or coffee as necessary to keep the mixture from drying out. When the bacon is tender, reduce the mixture until it’s the consistency of Bolognese sauce - not completely dry, but there shouldn’t be visible liquid in the pan, either. Season with salt to taste (it usually doesn’t need any since the bacon is salty). Dump it in the food processor and pulse to a coarse paste. Keeps very well in the fridge. I hope you like it!

I make it every Thanksgiving. I just fry the bacon first, then carmelize some onions in a bit of the bacon grease, add a little brown sugar and bourbon and put the bacon back in and cook it down some.