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!

Details

Adapted from thekitchn.com

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.