Bacon Jam can be a surprising addition to different dishes. It is a popular addition to Burgers instead of bacon alone. Blue Cheese Bacon Jam burger with Caramelized onions & Garlic Aioli. Or how about a Smoked Cheddar Burger with Bacon Jam & a Garden Fresh Tomato.Is your mouth watering yet?
Preheat your pellet smoker to 350°. Bacon will be cooked on the smoker. Set up the smoker so it collects the bacon fat that will be rendered. Some will be used to cook the onions and shallots. Cook the bacon for 20 minutes, cook until it is mostly cooked. Mostly you want to impart more smoke flavor into the bacon. If you want to under cook that is ok because you will dice and add to the onion and shallots later. Depending on the smoker, extra time may be needed.
Dice the onion and shallots to ¼" dice.
In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tbl of bacon grease that was collected from the cooking bacon. Add the onions and the onions and shallots. Sweat the diced onion and shallots, continue to cook the onion and shallot to caramelize them. Be patient with the onions, they take time to get a caramelization instead of just browning, wait it out for the caramelization to get the sweetness and flavor.
Dice the cooked bacon into roughly ¼" pieces. Once the onion and shallots are almost caramelized add the bacon. If the bacon is undercooked on the smoker, add the bacon earlier to the onion and shallots to cook until crispy.
Once the onion & shallots are caramelized and bacon is crispy, add the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. The Smokey Bacon Jam should be thick and caramel in consistency.
Remove from heat and let cool before refrigerating. It should be refrigerated because this is not a true jam. If left at room temperature for extended amount of time it could pose a food safety issue. It is best if the jam is used at room temperature or heated for use. If you want a finer jam texture, put it in a food processor and pulse to your liking.