Bacon jam is a versatile burger topper. (iStock)
Serve this versatile condiment with just about anything. Actually you can serve all by itself on grilled bread. All the basic tastes are there (salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami) plus some spicy heat. The jam will keep for about a week when stored in the fridge.Yield 1-1 ½ cups
Cook Time:25 min
Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:35 min
Servings: 16
Ingredients:
? pound smoked bacon, diced into ½ pieces
1 large shallot, diced (about ¼ cup)
?-½ tsp red pepper flakes
? cup brown sugar
? cup sherry vinegar
2 tbs blood orange juice (or regular orange juice)
2 tbs dark rum
3 slices fresh ginger, rough dice
1 tsp honey
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Cook the bacon over medium to medium low heat, adjusting the heat as necessary and stirring often, until browned and crisp and the fat is rendered.
Drain the bacon on a paper-towel lined plate. Reserve a few tablespoons of drippings in the skillet.
Add the shallots to the reserved drippings and cook over medium low heat about 2 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits.
Return the bacon to the pan; add the brown sugar, honey, rum, vinegar, orange juice, red pepper flakes and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, about 10 to 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Transfer to a mini-food processor; pulse until the bacon is finely diced but not pureed, turning off the motor several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Store finished jam in the refrigerator.
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