Photograph by Ruta Elvikyte
August 31, 2016
All About the Bacon
Learn how to make star Charleston chef Jeremiah Bacon’s bacon jam for a tasty addition to any Labor Day cookout
written by Jenny Ouellette
Whether you spread it on a sandwich or spoon it over cheese, there’s no wrong way to enjoy this sticky-and-smoky, sweet-and-salty dip of indulgence. And, notes The Macintosh’s Jeremiah Bacon, the jam recipe itself can be just as versatile. Here, the chef shares a no-frills version and offers a few suggestions for experimentation
Jeremiah Bacon’s Bacon Jam
(Yields 1½ cups)
1 lb. bacon, diced or ground
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch salt
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
1/4 cup aged sherry
1/4 cup sorghum
1/2 cup brown sugar
Render bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set aside.
Pour off some of the fat so one to two tablespoons remain. Add the onions, garlic, and salt and sweat until translucent. Add water, vinegar, sherry, sorghum, and sugar and stir.
Add the bacon. Simmer uncovered until the mixture is reduced by one-quarter to one-third, then remove from heat. As it cools, the mixture will continue to thicken.
Stored in a covered container in the fridge, the jam will keep for two weeks.
Get creative! Add any combination of the following ingredients to…
…sweeten the pot: bourbon or honey; or substitute maple syrup for the sorghum
…heat it up: hot sauce, cayenne, or chili pepper, to taste
…alter the acidity: try Champagne vinegar or Banyuls instead of apple-cider vinegar; whole-grain mustard can be added after the jam has reduced.
…brighten the dish: fresh chives and parsley, finely chopped, as a garnish
A tip from the chef: “Remember that whichever ingredient you put in last, people taste first,” notes Bacon. Want to add a quarter cup of bourbon? Do so when you add the other liquids, towards the end of the cooking process, so the bourbon flavor can come forward without overpowering the jam itself. The same thinking goes for heat: mixing in cayenne or hot sauce too late can make the first bite quite spicy. Instead, toss in a pinch of cayenne while the onions are rendering, and the jam’s kick will be subtler.
For more recipes and cooking tips from local chefs, click here.
To read more articles from our September issue, click here.
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