Bacon, onions, coffee, and maple slow-simmered into a spreadable dark jam — the burger topping that ends arguments.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
12
400 g
🥓 Bacon ›
chopped
2
🧅 Onion ›
diced
80 ml
🍁 Maple Syrup ›
80 ml
☕ Cold Brew Coffee ›
or strong brewed
3 tbsp
🍎 Apple Cider Vinegar ›
2 tbsp
🟤 Brown Sugar ›
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
10m
Prep
60m
Cook
70m
Total
—
Serves
Yield: One 400 ml jar of leverage
Equipment
Small saucepan
Whisk
Prep checklist
Bacon — chopped
Onion — diced
Cold Brew Coffee — or strong brewed
3 steps
Method
1
Crisp the bacon; set aside, keeping 2 tablespoons of fat. Caramelize the onions in that fat, 15 patient minutes.
Learn the technique ›
2
Return the bacon with maple, coffee, vinegar, and sugar. Simmer low, stirring occasionally, until thick, dark, and jammy — 35–40 minutes.
3
Pulse briefly for spreadability (still chunky). Jar it. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks — theoretically.
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight jar in the fridge, 3–5 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of starch-thickened sauces to stop a skin forming.
Freezing
Most sauces freeze 2–3 months; freeze in ice-cube trays for single portions. Emulsified butter/egg sauces don't freeze — they break on thawing.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat, whisking; butter- and egg-based sauces split when boiled. Loosen with a spoonful of warm water or stock.
Make ahead
Most sauces keep 3–5 days refrigerated and freeze in ice-cube trays for instant single portions. Emulsified butter sauces are best made within the hour.