Bacon-Onion-Coffee jam


The first time I ate bacon was in a jam. Not crispy fried, not in a burger, but as a jam. Yes. That is quite unusual, I know. And I loovehd it. Most people associate bacon with its signature salty and savory taste, and a lot of fat. But cook it for a couple of minutes, remove the fat and what you are left with is a delicious sizzling bacon with much less salt. Ready to be made into a sweet spicy jam.

Bacon in sweeter avatar is not that popular in India yet, although there are quite a few folks out there who experiment with this smokey salty meat. There is this guy Roycin D’souza who makes bacon cake and Ellipsis , a restaurant in Mumbai serves Maple Bacon syrup. Last I heard, they were even making bacon chocolates! Now I am waiting for the day when we start getting bacon lipbalm and toothpaste in India.

When Joana Lobo, was researching for her article in DNA, I spoke to her about this awesome bacon jam. I had not made it in a long time, and suddenly started craving for it. Badly. So one evening, while watching Prison Break, I made this jam. It took just half an hour to get it all together in a pan , and then simmered it for another 15 mins. That’s it. We quickly scooped it up on some lettuce leaves, and had a mouthful of bacon-ey goodness.

Bacon and coffee jam

Bacon Onion Coffee Jam :

Ingredients:

  • 150 gm bacon, chopped fine
  • 2 medium size onions, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
  • 3/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 2-3 tbsp dark brown sugar, depending on taste,
  • chilli flakes to taste,
  • 1/2 jalapeno, chopped fine

Method:

  1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until all the fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned. Do not overcook it at this stage, since it will have to be cooked for 45 minutes once all ingredients are in it. Juts slightly brown.
  2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towel lined plates.
  3. Discard all but 1 tbsp of bacon fat. We will use that for cooking onions.
  4. Cover and cook the onions till translucent in the bacon fat for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the bacon and brown sugar. Cover and cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes till caramelised.
  6. Then add vinegar bring to a boil. Cook for another 10 minutes.
  7. Final step. Add the coffee powder, jalapeno, garlic and some chilli flakes. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally till the liquid almost completely evaporates and it turns syrupy.
  8. Taste, and add some more chilli flakes if required.

Bacon

Notes :

  1. Always cut the bacon when it is still not completely thawed, as it is easier to chop finely when still slightly frozen.
  2. You can use regular granulated sugar, but the brown sugar gives the caramel a beautiful color.
  3. If your jalapeno is not hot enough, increase the amount of chilli flakes.
  4. And after all, this is bacon jam that we are talking about. Be considerate on your heart and eat in moderation.

The jam stays well for a week at room temperature and for 2 months in the refrigerator.

Here is the extract of the DNA article.

DNA bacon jam

I have promised a lot of my friends that they will be getting bacon jam delivered. I remember, and everyone will soon get a bottle full of bacon delish. 🙂