[DROPS MICROPHONE, WALKS AWAY]
…I really don’t think I need to say much more about this. I mean, it’s bacon freaking jam. It’s the bacon-wrapped date, amplified. (More A/V jokes!)
Once upon a time, I got the chance to eat at the incredible restaurant HG Supply Co. with some of my favorite people – Ben and Jenni (aka #CoffeeWithBen and The Urban Poser), April (Butterflies, Peace, Paleo) and my blogless buddies (aka friends who can actually eat food without having to Instagram a thousand pictures of it) Jacquelyn and Amy (Amy’s also my travel buddy).
There, we were introduced to bacon jam. And our lives were forever changed.
So of course, when Amy and I got home, we had to TRY to create something similar. We found amazing recipes like Steph’s and Mark’s and Simone’s but we were missing MAJOR ingredients for each recipe, and since I live in the boon-sticks, “running to the store” isn’t an option.
So we had to figure something out with what we had on-hand. Which was an onion, some dates, bacon, and a 30-lb bag of carrots.
(We didn’t use the carrots.)
This doesn’t have the amazing complexity of the HG Supply stuff, nor is it as ingenious as the other recipes, but it’s easy, delicious, and it’s bacon freaking jam.
The best part? It takes just 3 ingredients – all of which are staples in most Real Food kitchens.
It tastes amazing on anything, but it’s ESPECIALLY amazing on fresh fried eggs.
- 5-6 pieces of bacon, chopped into small pieces (preferably from pasture-raised pork)
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 10 pitted dates (I get mine from [url href=”http://www.nuts.com/driedfruit/dates/organic-pitted.html” target=”_blank”]Nuts.com[/url])
- 1 cup water
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, add the dates, remove saucepan from heat, cover, and allow dates to soak in the hot water until you get to step 4.
- Cook chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat until done but NOT CRISPY. Set aside, leaving bacon grease in the pan.
- Cook onions in the bacon grease for approximately 10 minutes (they should be slighly brown but not burnt). When cooked, scoop the onions out and add them to the bacon.
- Now, mash the dates with a fork in the saucepan. (Don’t pour out the water!)
- When dates are mashed, add the bacon and onions to the date-water mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and “reduce” (aka keep simmering until the water cooks away) for about 10-15 minutes. Mixture should get gooey!
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. Then, add mixture to a food processor (I use[url href=”http://amzn.to/1msImjT” target=”_blank”] [u]this one[/u][/url]) and pulse several times.
- Put in face.
Enjoy, and thanks for reading!
22 Responses
This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it!! Love your sense of humor!
How long could/would you keep this?
A week tops 🙂 I can’t imagine it lasting that long, though!
DROPS THE MICROPHONE, WALKS AWAY. Gosh, you crack me up.
Can’t wait to make bacon jam…sounds delish! What a unique
gift!
Do you think you could can this?? In a pressure cooker of course.
No clue! I’m not sure how canning meat works. If you find out, let me know!
This sounds so yummy, I have to try it soon.
For someone who professes to be a terrible cook, this was pretty great (and so is that coconut/chocolate coffee cake)! I’ve made some pretty complex bacon jams and this was as good if not better and easier. Take that Martha Stewart!
Love your blog, loved “Eat the Yolks,” and love the podcast! Thanks for all you do!
Jen
THANK YOU Jen! You brought a smile to my face 🙂
Delicious! Made this at the weekend, it’s great! Have already shared samples with a couple of friends who then have asked for the recipe. Thanks so much 🙂
Bacon Jam was a Hit! My friends and I cook together twice a month. We sometimes pick a theme. We try new recipes. It’s total fun. Tuesday was BACON Night! Liz you are brilliant! The bacon jam was the item people we most skeptical of, but of course it was amazing. Everyone loved it. Ya, I kept the leftovers for myself. Thanks for a great and easy recipe.
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks Kate!
Great. The best thing about this dish is its simplicity and application. I’m pretty sure this could go on anything. Thanks for sharing!
That’s 4 ingredients
According to the Supreme Council of Recipe Developers, water doesn’t count as an ingredient.
Well that’s definitely something new to try on your eggs in a morning, than the classic red sauce.
But personally it’s one of those recipes that sounds horrible but will be delicious.
How long will it keep for once it’s been made?
A week…but I guarantee it won’t last that long 🙂
Do you use fresh or dried figs?
Figs are delicious! But I used dried dates 🙂
oh My, I do not know why I read dates and thought about figs 🙂
I have not tried to can it, however I have put it in small jars and froze it. It works great!