Description:
Sweet, smoky, savoury and just a little spicy, this bacon jam is packed with slow-cooked bacon, caramelised onions and rich layers of flavour. Spread it on burgers, steak sandwiches, toasties or cheese boards, or spoon it over grilled meats for an instant upgrade. Once you make it, you'll be looking for excuses to put it on everything.
Ingredients:
- 900g thick-cut smoked bacon, diced
- 2 large brown onions, finely diced
- 2 jalapeños, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 shot espresso
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp The Feedlot Cattle Call Rub
- ½ tbsp The Feedlot Liquid Smoke
Method:
- Cook the diced bacon in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving around 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.
- Add the onions and cook slowly for 15–20 minutes until deeply caramelised.
- Stir in the jalapeños and garlic, cooking for another 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, coffee, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Cattle Call Rub. Stir until well combined.
- Return the bacon to the pan and simmer gently over low heat for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes thick, glossy and jam-like.
- Allow to cool slightly before pulsing a few times in a food processor. Leave it slightly chunky rather than completely smooth.
- Spoon into sterilised jars and refrigerate.
Hot Tip:
Bacon jam tastes even better the next day once the flavours have had time to develop. Prefer a slightly richer flavour? Swap the Cattle Call Rub for Black Angus. If you like a little more heat, simply add an extra finely diced fresh jalapeño. It also freezes beautifully for up to three months, making it perfect to have on hand whenever you need an extra hit of smoky goodness.