Unlike other recipe pages, I won't bore you with a long, drawn-out intro to explain to you why this is something you should make.
24 ozs bacon (I like Wright Applewood)
1 cup sweet onion, fine chop
3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup vinegar (balsamic or red wine)
1/2 cup brown sugar
Chop bacon into smallish bits (1" or so) and cook in a sauce pan on low/med until chewy-crisp, stirring often.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
Discard all but 1 tblsp of the grease. Add onion and cook on low until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add spices.
Add bourbon and maple syrup. Increase heat to high. Boil for 2 or 3 minutes.
Add vinegar and brown sugar. Continue boiling another few minutes. Reduce heat to low and return bacon to the mix.
Simmer on low until liquid begins to thicken. 10 minutes or so.
Remove from heat. If you want a chunkier preserve/chutney texture, you're ready to transfer it to jars and let cool, then store in refrigerator. I like it more jammy, so I use a wand to pulse it into a smoother texture before jarring it up.
And that's it. Keeps for months in the refrigerator if you can make it last that long. Great on burgers, or in grits, or in peanut butter sandwiches, or...
