“Epic”, “Obsessed” and “Wow” were only a few of the very flattering things we heard when we were taste tasting this slow cooked Bacon, Garlic & Onion Jam with our friends. It has a deep, complex flavor not only because of some of our favourite ingredients, (Bacon! Onions! Garlic!) but also some notes of coffee and maple syrup plus a bit of heat from cumin and cayenne pepper. This recipe stems from the lovely Robyn Stone of addapinch.com and we bow down to her. We served it with salted butter and Trader Joe’s beer bread, which tastes frankly amazing (definitely throw the suggested cheese in there!), but of course any bread will work just fine. We can also totally make our mouths water imagining this on a good steak... But that will have to wait until the next batch, because there sure as heck weren’t any leftovers!
Ingredients
Makes 2 cups pf jam
1 1/2 pounds (700 g) bacon cut into 1 inch (2 cm) pieces
3 medium onions finely diced
4 cloves garlic finely diced
1/2 cup (200 g) brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 cup (180 ml) strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
Cook bacon on medium heat in large skillet until lightly browned. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.
Pour off bacon fat, leaving 1 1/2 tablespoons in skillet. Place garlic and onions in skillet and cook over medium heat until onions are tender and clear. Add brown sugar, cumin, cayenne, coffee, vinegar, and maple syrup to onion/garlic mixture. Bring to boil. Stir in bacon pieces and remove from heat. Pour mixture into slow cooker and cook, uncovered, on high setting for 6 1/2 hours or until liquid forms a syrup. Transfer to food processor or blender and pulse until it reaches the desired consistency. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to four weeks in the refrigerator.
After this has been in fridge for a while, it becomes a bit congealed. 30 seconds in the microwave makes it lovely and jammy again!
Recipe by Robyn Stone www.addapinch.com