Bacon Jam

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 800g bacon
• 500 g onion(s), red
• 3 small garlic cloves
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 chili pepper(s), mild
• 150 ml whiskey (Jack Daniels)
• 150 ml maple syrup
• 80 ml balsamic vinegar
• 120 g brown sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 10 minutes

Bacon Jam is also a classic in BBQ and tastes good with almost everything

Place a pan on the hob and set it to level 6; our stove goes up to level 9. So don’t set it to the highest setting, so the fat can drain evenly from the bacon. Always cut the bacon into strips about 1 cm wide. Small squares are fine too, of course. However, it should be noted that the bacon will still lose a lot of mass, so it’s fine to use strips, as they will shrink by about half anyway. The bacon stays in the pan until it’s evenly browned and the fat is bubbling into even, large bubbles. It usually does this after about 45 minutes. All in all, if the bacon looks good, it’s usually fine. Once all the fat has rendered, pour the bacon over a sieve, but the fat doesn’t have to be thrown away. It can be collected in a small bowl and used for frying meat. If you run it through a cheesecloth to filter out the impurities, you’ll have a fantastic bacon oil that’s also delicious on its own with a fresh baguette! Finely dice the onions and garlic and sweat them in the same pan with a little of the bacon oil until translucent. Then add everything else to the pan except the bacon. Let it reduce slightly. When it’s no longer as runny as water and starts to thicken, add the drained bacon. Continue simmering on medium heat for 15 minutes, and it’s ready. Tip: If you like, you can also puree everything finely; I personally leave it as it is because I like to be able to see the individual components and clearly taste and identify them. Note: I made the first bacon jam outside on the grill in my Dutch oven, but since I was feeling a bit under the weather and it’s too cold outside for me at the end of December, I opted for the convenient option on the stovetop.