You're Bacon Me Crazy!

Ever since I was a kid I can remember feeling it gave me to smell bacon cooking in my house every Sunday morning. It warmed my heart. The roughest week was washed away by Sunday church service and then family brunch that ALWAYS included bacon. The past few years I have seen more and more uses and recipes including this magical tasting piece of swine. My Muslim friends won't eat it and that just leaves more for me! As Chef Emeril Lagassee would say "You could put bacon on a bumper and it would make the bumper taste good. BAM!"

As you might have guessed this is about bacon. I have had the opportunity to come up with a few unique recipes that incorporate this meat of the Gods. Bartenders around the world are jumping on the bacon bandwagon and I for one am no different.

The first recipe I'm going to give you is for a Bacon Jam. I got this as a gift for Christmas this year and I am telling you this can be used as a good rim to the glass, spread on small pieces of toast on the side or just smear it all over your belly just for fun. F-you PETA this is salty, smokey and just plain delightful. I found this recipe online and it is pretty quick and easy to make.

Bacon Jam
1 1/2 lbs. - Sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces 
2 - Medium yellow onions, diced small 
3 - Garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 
1/2 cup - Cider vinegar 
1/2 cup - Packed dark-brown sugar 
1/4 cup - Pure maple syrup 
3/4 cup - Brewed coffee

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine. 

Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks. 

OK so now that we have the jam out of the way onto the hooch! There are several recipes out there and I implore you, if you find yourself behind the bar to play with this flavor. There are a million ways to use it and it can range from intense to mild on the flavor chart. Here are a few of my favorite cocktail recipes. 

Butternut Squash and Bacon Bloody Mary 
2/3 cup - Butternut squash puree 
1/3 cup - Vegetable stock 
2 tblsp - Freshly grated horseradish 
Dash of salt 
1 tblsp - Ground pepper 
1 ounce - Vodka or even better bacon-infused vodka!
Chopped bacon, to garnish 
lime wedge, to garnish
Create a pre-mix of vegetable stock (about 1/3 cup) and Butternut squash puree (about 2/3 cup), boiled together and then cooled. Mix until it attains the consistency of V8. Mix in freshly grated horseradish to taste, a dash of salt, and fresh ground pepper. Add vodka and serve over rocks, garnishing with extra crispy house-smoked bacon and a wedge of lime to add that missing acidity.
  

Eggs & Bacon Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces - Bacon-infused gin 

1 ounce - Egg whites 

1/2 ounce - Lemon juice 

1/2 ounce - Orange blossom honey syrup 

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain cocktail over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a strip of bacon across the glass.

Bourbon Bacon Bloody Cesar 

In a pint glass filled with ice. 

1.5 ounce - Bourbon

1 tblspn - Soft bacon bits

Clamatoe juice to fill. 
*Rim glass with our Bacon Jam from above*

Toss in a shaker and serve with bacon strip garnish

Cheers !