Quick, grab some bacon while you’re at the store today for this new Wiser-Orozco Thanksgiving TREAT! Trust me, you’ll most likely have the rest of the ingredients in your pantry to make this awesome BEER BACON JAM. At our Thanksgiving table this year, you will find our Wiser-Orozco Potatoes Au Gratin laced with this stuff. It will turn your world upside-down! (in a good way) Now for a little back-story that has nothing to do with bacon, or real jam. Well, maybe.
When I was about 13 years old I loved the metal/punk band Suicidal Tendencies. I’m not sure if they can be classified as punk or metal, actually. To me, they transend genre labels, but regardless, they were, and always will be near and dear to my heart. They came into my life at a time where every teenager struggles with independence, and really turned my perspective of the world into something empowering and positive despite their name. As time passed, I was thrilled to learn that the front man of Suicidal Tendencies, Mike Muir, branched off and created this funk-metal band called Infectious Grooves. They were silly, goofy, and like Suicidal, I couldn’t get enough of them.
I can’t remember what year it was, but I saw Infectious Grooves play WITH Suicidal Tendencies, and boy was that a day to remember. I was on the rail – and for those of you who are unfamiliar with metal shows, the rail can be pretty brutal. You get squeezed up against the railing, have to really fight to keep your spot, and defend yourself against crowd surfers who will inevitably kick you in the head. When all is said and done, you have bruises on your hips, arms, knees, legs – and that’s if you’re lucky!
This particular show was at the Huntridge Theater in Las Vegas – a movie theater turned small concert venue. It was where all the bands came. They even had the original seats in the place, which always baffled me because they survived some pretty crazy shows! I’ve seen White Zombie, Kyuss, Danzig, GWAR, Testament, Sepultura, Sevendust and countless others there, and each show was pretty wild in their own right.
At this particular Suicidal/Infectious Grooves show, something would happen that is every metal-heads dream (at least it was my dream!), I met the front man to the band(s) that I idolized so much. I met Mike Muir, got to talk to him for a few moments, and he signed some of my stuff. Stuff that I still have to this day.
Check out that get-up, will ya? This is me before class in my High School days. Tights, chains, nerdy digital watches, and my beloved (and totally oversized) Infectious Grooves T-Shirt.
This is for the jam itself, but you can put this shit on EVERYTHING! Spoon over steaks for a little punch of flavor, slather in between layers of your favorite Au-gratin potatoes recipe, spread on toast, or use as a sandwich spread. The possibilities are endless! Just don’t stop, and spread that jam!
Oh, and don’t forget to check out the song at the bottom of the post. Cheers!
- 1 Pound Organic, Nitrate, Nitrite Free Bacon
- 3 Tablespoons Bacon Grease
- 1 Cup Chopped Onion
- 4 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Cup Beer (porter or stout will work nicely)
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Chopped Rosemary
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and lay out the bacon in an even layer. Place in the oven, and cook for 30 minutes or until done. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving 3 Tablespoons of the bacon grease.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the bacon grease. Add the onion, and cook for about 7 minutes, until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook a minute more.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, turn the heat up to high and cook for 15 minutes until reduced by half (leaving about a cup of remaining mixture).
- Crumble bacon and add to a food processor along with the liquid mixture, and pulse until well combined. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Before spreading on toast, let come up to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
this is the perfect jam to make for my BF! Love this, and love that great picture of you! oh, the days when metal shirts were legible 😉
Hi Natalie,
This looks amazing – going to make it this weekend! It was so nice to meet you the other day.
Best, Bianca Juarez