I joined Ree's tastykitchen.com a few weeks ago and still wonder why it took so long. I am in love with the homemade section and found this peculiar recipe:
Bacon Jam.
These are two very conflicting words, words that you don't nesscarily want to try to together.
When I think of bacon you think of the salty, briney, heaven in a skillet breakfast staple and jam, well I think of PB &J.
When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it, because to be honest I was very intrigued. Despite my immediate reluctance this concotion acutally got reave reivews.
I started out lugging Ringo out of the dungoen that is my cabinets and assembling all the ingredients
I modified the recipe down because I wasn't sure I was going to like it, and I didn't want to wast 3 lbs of bacon. So here is 1 1/2 lbs of bacon cut in to 1 inch strips
The I heated up Ringo and poured the bacony goodness in
Please forgive me as I missed a picture here and didn't show you a picture of the browned pieces, drain them on a plate with a paper towel and pour all but 2 Table spoons of the grease out. I store mine in the fridge and use it on weekends to make breakfast.
The I cut the onion. Let me just state that onions and I don't get along, I mean I can throw down anything onion, they are delicious to eat. But cutting them for me lands me in a puddle of my own tears. I have yet to find a remedy that fixes his problem.
Case and point.
Do you see the red eyes and tear stained cheeks?!?!? After that you add the onions to the bacon grease.
After you cook them down, they should be translucent, you can add your vinegar, maple syrup, brown sugar, strong black coffee and salt and pepper.
I thought that smelled like heaven, then I added the bacon and knew I was wrong.
This is what heaven smelled like
Stir everything up and then let it simmer.
You need to check on it every 5-7 minutes to make stir it and make sure nothing is sticking. If you see the liquid is reducing to much add a 1/4 cup water.
I took the time between stirs to reminisce in my child hood by watching the show Dinosaurs
Forgot how much I liked that show.
About an hour later the juices had reduced down to a syrup. The best part was the onions, they were so sweet I was eating them out of the pot. Made me forgive them for making me cry.
Toss everything in the oldest food processor known to man and blend until a spreadable consitancy
NAILED IT!
The jam is delicious y'all, like so much so I am sure Paula would want this recipe. It's sweet and its savory and after trying it both warm and cold I can say that I prefer it warm, on toast, with an egg on top.
Here is a copy of Rebecca's Recipe, straight from Tasty Kitchen:
Recipe Description
Salty, sweet, meaty, and pure umami (or “Ooh Mommy!”), this is going to make you rethink breakfast. Smoky with bacon flavor, tinged with coffee and maple syrup, this spread transforms toast or sandwiches with very little effort.
Preparation Instructions
Cut the bacon slices into 1-inch strips. Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a heat-proof jar with a tight-fitting lid. (Save the bacon drippings in the refrigerator. That’s too much flavor to trash!)
Place the Dutch oven back over the medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Stir well and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are mostly translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and drop heat again, this time to low.
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil hard for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir the browned bacon into the onions and liquid.
Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure things aren’t sticking, adding 1/4 cup of water if it seems to be drying out. When the onions are meltingly soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to the work bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a blade. Fit the lid in place and pulse several times or until the bacon jam is a spreadable consistency. Scrape into a jar (or jars) or a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Can be served cold, room temperature or warmed.
Ingredients
- 1-½ pounds Bacon
- 2 whole Large Yellow Onions, Peeled And Thinly Sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, Smashed And Peeled
- ½ cups Cider Vinegar
- ½ cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
- ¾ cups Very Strong Brewed Black Coffee
- ¼ cups Pure Maple Syrup
- ½ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
