Ingredients
Scale
- 24 oz. (680g) bacon
- 2 cups (175g) shallots, finely chopped
- 1 cup (90g) red onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup (120ml) maple bourbon or regular bourbon whiskey
- 1/2 cup (120ml) maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60ml) balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup (110g) brown sugar
Instructions
- Start with the shallots, onions and garlic – chop them finely and set aside.
- Cook the bacon over medium heat in two frying pans (with only one it will take very long) until crispy and perfectly browned. The bacon should be bit crispier than usual with as little visible fat as possible. Place on paper towels to drain excess fat off. Set aside.
- Leave 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in one of the pans and cook the shallots and onion over medium heat until soft and caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add cayenne pepper and smoked paprika and stir to combine.
- Increase the heat to high and add the (maple) bourbon and maple syrup. Bring to a boil and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Add vinegar and brown sugar and continue boiling for several minutes. While everything is cooking crumble or cut the bacon into small pieces. Add to the pan and stir until all is mixed. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes. The mixture should thicken a bit.
- Remove from heat and remove all visible fat that might show up on the surface. The bacon jam is now ready to be filled into glass jars. If you want it less chunky, I recommend to mix it with a blender shortly, so you get a more jam like texture. Close the glass jars and keep them in the fridge – use it as soon as possible – but that should not be a problem ;) It will harden when cold – to get it softer again, just let it stand outside for some time or heat it up for a moment in the microwave.
Notes
- Enjoy “jammin”!