Bacon Jam

Yes.  You read that right.  Bacon.  Jam.  As in spreadable bacon.

Oh...and there is beer in there mix as well.

yields one pint jar

adapted from The Beeroness

The Ingredients:

12 oz bacon (8-10 strips)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup onion

8 oz amber ale

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup brown sugar

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, fry the bacon until crispy.  Work in batches as necessary.  Alternatively, you can bake or microwave the bacon to the desired level of crispness.  Remove the bacon from the pan and blot off any excess drippings.  Allow to cool and then roughly chop. Reserve about 1 Tbsp of the bacon drippings and discard the rest.  

Add the dripping to the  pot along with the onions.   Cook the onions over medium-high heat until the onions become translucent and tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Slowly add the amber ale and vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze.  Add  the brown sugar and the bacon.  Reduce the heat to simmer a simmer and cover, keeping the lid slightly tilted or offset to allow steam to escape.  Stir occasionally and cook until the mixture is  reduced to a thick and syrupy consistency, about 45-60 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until a coarse paste is formed.

Serve at room temperature.

Will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks...if it lasts that long...

The Review:

There will be skeptics.  Let them be suspicious.  It will leave far more of the salty, meaty, slightly sweet and boozy wonderfulness all for you...

We tried it on burgers.  We tried it on biscuits.  We refrained from eating it by the spoonful.