Bacon jam – Think like a winner!
Posted on March 16, 2013 by nerinatimm in awards, pork
Bacon in a jam sounds as ridiculous as Gorgonzola in an ice-cream or chocolate in a jous for steak, yet chefs and cooks around the world do these crazy things all the time.
Bacon jam is nothing new, yet the concept is somewhat strange, yet enticing. There is something about the combination of sweet and salty that sounds almost a bit naughty . Something like “good girl” and “bad girl” all of a sudden became “one girl” What’s not to love about bacon? My Corn Fritters with Camembert and Bacon, drizzled in golden syrup will send your taste buds into orbit. The perfect pork belly roast is only complete when served with Stuffed Apples wrapped in……… you guessed it, BACON!
Who ever came up with the idea of bacon jam, heaven knows! In Austria they make something similar called Verhackert, but the origin of bacon jam remains a mystery! The recipe I read first, was on Baked Bree and when I read the list of ingredients, I thought I sensed a taste of the South in there somewhere. I did not have all the ingredients at hand , so I knew I had to wing it! Taste, taste and taste until it satisfies my idea of what bacon jam should taste like.
It seems I have an eye for a winner, because when I made my first ever batch of bacon jam last week, I had no idea that bacon jam will also win the DStv Food Network Eat Out Best New Product award this year. I expected nothing less from Curedeli, after all they are very picky when it comes to sourcing quality pork from farmers and butchers. Their bacon jam is truly delicious and it took serious willpower not to sit with the jar in one hand and a teaspoon in the other just finishing off the whole lot.
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Another winner I picked the first day I met her, was my friend Anel Potgieter, who won the DStv Food Network Eat Out Local Foodblog of on Friday night at the night market. Well done, a truly deserving winner you are!
The other 2013 Eat Out DStv Food Network Produce Award winners are:
Best small producers:
Grocery / condiments: Karma Home Products, Kestell. Free State
Dairy (cheese): Pépé Charlot Cheese Maker, Craighall Park, Gauteng
Dairy (other): Gourmet Greek, Lions River, KwaZulu-Natal
Paddock (fresh): Greenfields, Nottingham Road, KwaZulu-Natal
Paddock (cured): Jewell & Co., Franschhoek, Western Cape
Earth: Magic Herbs, Porterville, Western Cape
Bakery: The Bread Gypsy, Pretoria, Gauteng
Best organic/free-range producer: Farmer Angus for pasture-reared beef mince and eggs, Stellenbosch, Western Cape
South African food heritage award: Enaleni Farm for zebra beans, Enaleni farm, KwaZulu-Natal
Outstanding markets and outlets:
Outstanding market South: Neighbourgoods Market, Woodstock, Cape Town
Outstanding outlet South: Wild Peacock Food Emporium, Stellenbosch
Outstanding market East: The Food Market, Durban North
Outstanding outlet East: Spice Emporium, Durban
Outstanding market North: Pretoria Boeremark, Silverton, Pretoria
Outstanding outlet North: Braeside Butchery, Parkhurst, Johannesburg
Outstanding outlet Central: Polkadeli’cious Deli, Bethlehem
Sadly I do not have the winning bacon jam’s recipe, but here is my version of this new kid on the block!
Bacon Jam
Ingredients
500 gr bacon – finely diced
4 large onions – finely diced
5 ml chili flakes
80 ml maple syrup
125 ml strong coffee
80 ml red wine vinegar
zest of 1 orange
5 ml dry fine ginger
80 ml brandy
Method
Heat a heavy-based pot on the stove and fry the bacon until crispy and brown. Remove the bacon from the pot and in the same pot, saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the bacon and all the other ingredients, except the brandy back to the pot and simmer for 45 – 60 minutes. The mixture should be thick and syrupy. Add the brandy and allow to cook through. If you want a smooth bacon jam, you can transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until fine or if you like it chunky like I do, keep it as is. Spoon into sterilized jars and cool of. Keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, if you can save it that long.
So, if you are thinking that your blog and produce could be next year’s winner, start working at your dream…… Think like a winner and it will soon happen for you too!
For further information, please contact Hannerie Visser at hv@hannerievisser.com or 082 782 6707.
Well done! Ek vind die koffie gedeelte ook baie interessant.
Bacon in jam is somewhat strange. But I’d have to say that it is creative.
Die baconjam klink heerlik! Baie dankie vir die lys van wenners – ek het die event ongelukkig gemis! 🙁