Bacon jam

Bacon jam is a bacon-based relish, similar to the Austrian starter Verhackertes. It is made through a process of slow cooking the bacon, along with onions, vinegar, brown sugar and spices, before mixing in a food processor. In 2015, Martin and Suzie Cowley of Wales claimed to have invented Bacon Jam, however, Chef Mike Oraschewsky stated they started making Bacon Jams since 2013. Josh Henderson of Skillet Street Foods has been selling Bacon Jam as of 2010.

Bacon jam, like fruit jams, requires a certain level of sugars to be officially labelled 'jam'.

Recipe
Bacon jam is made by slow cooking a combination of bacon, onions, brown sugar and vinegar, then placing the mixture in a food processor and putting it into jars. Variations on this recipe include altering the cooking time between two and six hours, and adding other ingredients such as maple syrup, garlic, a variety of spices and bourbon.

Ingredients:


 * 1 lb. bacon, cut into 1" pieces
 * 1 onion, finely chopped
 * 4 shallots, minced
 * 2 cloves garlic, minced
 * 1/2 c. brown sugar
 * 1/4 c. maple syrup
 * 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
 * 1 tsp. chili powder

Verhackert
Without the sweeteners the recipe bears some similarity to the Austrian dish, Verhackert. Verhackert is a spread of minced bacon, combined with garlic and salt. A traditional dish, the preparation of bacon takes place over two months, which includes freezing the meat two to three times. Once the meat is ready, it is minced with the other ingredients and pressed into a terrine. Verhackert is served cold with bread as an appetizer.

Notable producers

 * Skillet Street Food, a gourmet burger van in Seattle.
 * The Bacon Jams, a gourmet food producer in the Philadelphia area, which sells at festivals and nationwide online.
 * Martin and Suzie Cowley, who run a fine food business in Rhondda, South Wales, introduced a variant of bacon jam containing Jack Daniel's in 2015.