You’ve heard the phrase “awesome sauce” before, right? This is it right here. In the flesh. The piggy flesh.

Bacon jam might sound like a practical joke, but one taste will convince you that it is heaven-sent. This is the king of condiments, the gilding of the lily. Toast or burger, it equally accentuates the positive and makes the ordinary extraordinary. Bacon jam is awesome sauce.

The first time I heard of bacon jam was from one of those monthly snack box companies. It immediately became my Christmas gift for The Big Guy that year. But buying bacon jam gets expensive, especially when you’re trying to support an addiction.

The only way to ensure an ample supply of this piggy goodness is to make it yourself. And you have no excuse not to when it’s this easy to throw together. You need to babysit it a bit in the beginning, but once everything is mixed together and simmering away, concentrating all those flavors into perfection, it practically takes care of itself. A couple hours of your time will provide you with many meals of happiness–totally worth it!

I’m giving you a few days’ notice because you’re going to want this awesome sauce for the recipe I’m posting on Saturday. Get on it! And get on the edge of your seat… you’re going to love this!

This recipe has been adapted from Foodie With Family and Martha Stewart.

Bacon Jam

adapted from Foodie With Family and Martha Stewart

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 20

Course Condiment

Servings 24

Ingredients

2 pounds thick sliced bacon cut crosswise into strips
3 Tablespoons reserved bacon fat
2 large yellow onions sliced thinly
4 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar lightly packed
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup brewed coffee
3 dashes dried chili pepper seasoning
1 dash ground cloves

Instructions

Place the sliced bacon into a large enameled Dutch/French oven (or 2 cast iron skillets) and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fat is rendered and bacon strips are crispy. (The fat will get real foamy right around the time this happens.)
Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and pour the bacon fat into a jar with a tight-fitting lid to store in the refrigerator for later use. Reserve 3 Tablespoons of the fat for this recipe.
Add the 3 Tablespoons bacon fat, onions, and garlic to the Dutch/French oven and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent (about 7 minutes).
Add the vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, coffee, chili pepper, and cloves, cooking over medium heat until it starts boiling. Boil for 2 minutes, then add the bacon back into the pot.
Cook over medium to medium-low heat, simmering the mixture and stirring from time to time to make sure there's nothing sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Simmer until the liquid has thickened considerably and the onions are just starting to melt. This could take a few hours, but for me, it only took about an hour.
Turn off the heat and let cool a bit in the pot, then transfer to your food processor fitted with the blade. Pulse until mixture reaches desired consistency. Store in glass jars with tightly fitting caps in for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 6 months in the freezer.