Sweet & Savory Bacon Jam

By Alqualonde

There are a million ways to serve bacon jam, and half the fun is seeing how crazy you can get. My personal fave (besides eating it straight from a spoon) is to build the ultimate breakfast sandwich. Try it — toasted challah, cheddar, oven roasted tomatoes, field greens, a fried egg, and a heap of bacon jam — and don't tell me it isn't the best breakfast sandwich you've ever had.

Ingredients

• 1 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 small sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large shallot (2 cloves), peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Recipe Notes
• Some recipes call for discarding some of the bacon fat before adding the onions. I kept all of the fat but it is personal preference. Hey, if you are going to make bacon jam you might as well go all in!

Preparation

Step 1

Set a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Keep all the bacon fat in the pan; do not discard (see Recipe Notes).

Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the onions and shallots, and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup, vinegar, Dijon, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally if necessary. Cook until the the jam has a glossy appearance and syrup-like consistency, about 1 hour.

Allow the mixture to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and pulse a few times to puree the larger pieces, stopping every pulse or two to stir and check the consistency — it should be thick and chunky, not a paste.

Transfer to an airtight container. Bacon jam can be refrigerated for up to one month. Serve at room temperature.