Bourbon Bacon Marmalade

Bacon is one of the few things that I adore with the same enthusiasm as whiskies. Recently, I'd read about bacon marmalade being made by chefs and I decided to try my hand at creating my own recipe for it. Bourbon seemed like a naturally complementary flavor and I rounded the flavor profile out with coffee, brown sugar, chipotle sauce and maple syrup. This recipe is easy to prepare and has a variety of uses. Try this Bourbon Bacon Marmalade in place of bacon on a BLT sandwich, top off a bagel with cream cheese or use it as a topping for hamburgers. You could also easily incorporate this into a dip at your next party.

Prep Time: 10?minutes

Cook Time: 2?hours, 30?minutes

Total Time: 2?hours, 40?minutes

Yield: 2.5 pints of marmalade

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs smoked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup bourbon (I recommend Old Charter 101)
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups freshly brewed coffee
• 6 dashes Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
• 6 grinds of fresh black pepper

Preparation:

1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, fry the bacon over medium heat until the bacon begins to crisp. Remove bacon from pot and let drain on a paper towel lined plate.
2. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the rendered bacon fat in the pot and cook until the onion becomes translucent. Remove onion and garlic mixture from pot and either discard rendered bacon fat or use a different, heavy bottomed pot. Add bacon and onion garlic mixture to the pot.
3. Add all of the remaining ingredients to pot except Tabasco and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low while maintaining a simmer.
4. Simmer for 2 hours, checking the pot every 30 minutes. If the ingredients begin to dry out, add 1/2 cup water when needed.
5. After two hours, most of the liquid should be reduced. If too watery, simmer for up to an additional 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 30 minutes to cool. Add Tabasco chipotle sauce and pepper. Stir to incorporate.
6. Transfer the contents of the pot to a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse the contents for 5-6 seconds to incorporate all the ingredients together. Do not over blend, you will lose texture if you do.

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