At our house, we eat a lot of breakfast for dinner. The kids love it, it is easy to make, and I always have breakfast items in my house. Lindsay and Taylor from Love and Olive Oil just wrote a cookbook that celebrates eating breakfast for dinner. Why didn’t I think of that? There are lots of recipes that I want to try, but the one that stuck out the most was the bacon jam. Making the jam does take awhile, but it is really hands off. Other than a quick stir every now and then, it just simmers happily on the stove.
The idea of bacon jam might seem a little weird. But I assure you that it not weird at all. It is rich and complex, sweet and smoky, citrusy and syrupy. After I made it, I was thinking about all of the things that I could spread it on. A biscuit, slathered in a grilled cheese sandwich, or on a hamburger. I bet that it would even be really good on pancakes or waffles. As you can see, it is also really good served with cheese and crackers. And an ice cold beer.
1 pound bacon
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brewed coffee
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup bourbon
Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch strips.
Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Cook the bacon until it gets brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.
Take the bacon out of the pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Set bacon aside. Try not to eat it all. Leave 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot, pour off the rest.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Keep the onion mixture moving so the garlic does not burn.
Return the bacon to the pan.
Add coffee, vinegar, orange juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, and pepper.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Transfer to a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Pour everything back into the pan and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the bourbon and simmer for 30 minutes longer. The jam should be thick and syrupy. If the jam gets too thick at any point, add 1/4 cup to water to thin it out. Take off the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to jars. This jam will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 cup bourbon
Instructions
- Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch strips. Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Cook the bacon until it gets brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.Take the bacon out of the pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Set bacon aside. Leave 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot, pour off the rest.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Keep the onion mixture moving so the garlic does not burn. Return the bacon to the pan.
- Add coffee, vinegar, orange juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Pour everything back into the pan and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the bourbon and simmer for 30 minutes longer. The jam should be thick and syrupy. If the jam gets too thick at any point, add 1/4 cup to water to thin it out. Take off the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to jars. This jam will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks.
I am Bree. I love to cook. Even more than I love to take pictures.
pretty sure i need some of this. and the sooner, the better.
Yup. I can tell you with certainty that you do.
Oh wow. Do you drain off any of the bacon fat or just saute the onion and garlic in all of its glory?
Courtney recently posted..The Quotable Riley-bean, Part Four
You leave a little. Thanks for pointing that out, I am gong to fix that right now.
Wow. You have made me so hungry this morning! This stuff just might end up on a biscuit this weekend.
Alayna @ Thyme Bombe recently posted..How to self-publish a book – Part 2: Anthologize and CreateSpace
I hope that it did!
BACON JAM?? Mind = blown.
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough recently posted..scarlet threads apron {giveaway}
Try it! So good and really easy to make.
Yeah–I definitely need to try this!
Rachel Cooks recently posted..Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
Yes! Totally easy to make too.
YUM!! We eat breakfast for dinner like once a month. Its a nice change to the same old chicken or ground beef. This looks so tasty
Tanya recently posted..The Best WordPress Anti-Spam Plugins for 2012-2013
You should get this book then. Lots of great ideas.
Recently had bacon ham on a crostini with goat cheese – yum! I passed this along to my friend who purchased the jam…I’m going to guess she’d love to make it
It is really easy to make, very little effort.
Bree, you’ve done it again. My hat is off to you and your bacon jam.
Melissa Vanni recently posted..A Lesson in Timing
Why thank you!
I need this in my life!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel recently posted..Parmesan and Onion Dinner Rolls
Yes. You really do.
definitely going to have to try this!
I hope that you do.
isn’t bacon jam DA BOMB?!? i recently made some in the crockpot and people flipped out: http://theactorsdiet.com/2013/01/03/bacon-is-my-jam/
lynn @ the actor’s diet recently posted..Sweet Clementine
It is!
This is definitely my kind of jam! I could slather this on anything and everything!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
We sort of did.
It tasted good on everything.
Oh wow, this certainly is the most interesting recipe I have seen in a while. I bet my sister would go nuts for it
Becca from Cookie Jar Treats recently posted..Cake Slice Bakers – February 2013: Red Velvet Cake with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting
It was better than I thought that it would be. Really sweet and savory at the same time.
This definitely looks worth the time to make. I will have to try it atop some waffles!
Mari @ Oh, Sweet & Savory recently posted..Birthday Sweets (Bakery Crawl NYC)
It is.
I will definitely be trying this! On another note, any chance you’ll be at Expo West next week? Would love to say hello!
What is Expo West?
Thank you! Thank you! I have been wanting a bacon jam recipe as I refused to pay upward of $20 for a little jar. Yeah!!! Cannot wait to try this recipe out.
Denise recently posted..Meatless Monday | Pasta with Zucchini Sauce
Oh my sweet, sweet heavens. I would eat the entire jar … in one sitting. Cannot wait to make this, Bree! Looks amazing!
It is pretty delicious on a biscuit if I do say so myself.
This looks wonderful, and I would love to give it a shot, with one caveat. My husband does not drink coffee, nor does he like it. How obvious is the coffee flavor in this recipe?
It isn’t super obvious. I think that it just adds to the flavor.
Instead of coffee, what could you replace it with. I dont like coffee.
I wouldn’t to be honest. It doesn’t really taste like coffee. If you have to, I guess water.
Bet this would be great in a mushroom and cheese omlet
Yes, I bet it would.
Can the bourbon be substituted for something else? I understand the alcohol cooks out but due to alcohol allergies & sensitivity it can’t be digested.
Leave it out. No big deal.
[...] called Verhackert, but the origin of bacon jam remains a mystery! The recipe I read first, was on Baked Bree and when I read the list of ingredients, I thought I sensed a taste of the South in there [...]
Thanks for posting this recipe! I know my husband and kids will love it; planning to make some for Easter weekend when everyone’s home.
Question: How many jars and what size jars will this recipe fill?
I got 2 pints out of this recipe.
How many jars does this recipe yield?
I got two pint jars.
My husband can’t see me looking on this recipe, he would certainly lose his mind. Talk about a bacon addict! Bacon jam looks really interesting, can’t wait to give it a try so that he can surprised
Worth the effort! I promise.