I’ve toyed with this before (see here and here). A couple of websites call it bacon jam. I think the origins is from a company in Seattle (they call it “bacon spread”). I think “bacon spread” is generic enough.
I had about half a package of leftover bacon (about six ounces) and two sweet onions.
My version tends to use less ingredients than one’s found on the web.The basics of mine are bacon (of course), onions, and caffeinated liquid (why? idk). The recipes on the internet (and I think even the Seattle jars) have coffee, but I’ve used both black and green tea with satisfactory results.
Crisp up the bacon and drain.
Crispy Bacon
Remove most of the bacon oil except for about two tablespoons. Sweated and caramelized the onions in the bacon oil.
Chopped Onions
As you can see, I’m not a precise chopper. No worries, this is not a precise process (more rustic).
After the onions were soft and caramelized, I added about half a cup of strong green tea, half of a dried chile pepper, one and a half tablespoons of turbinado sugar, a splash of soju and a splash of rice vinegar. After simmering to almost dry, I added the crumpled bacon, a few macerated raisins (this time I used soju) and a pinch of sumac.
Simmered a little more, pulsed the whole thing in the food processor (I like it chunky). Done.
Bacon Spread
Great on crusty baguette.
Bacon Spread on Baguette slices
Just enough heat to tickle the tonsils but not enough to breathe fire, just right. I did a version previously for my cousin who likes to breathe fire. 😉
Is bacon jam healthy? Probably not but I argue that the onions help to balance the equation. True or not, that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it. 🙂
Enjoy. Eat well.
The Mouse
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