Cut the bacon into small chunks and add to a medium sized cast iron or enameled skillet (you don't want to use a nonstick pan because then you won't get those super flavorful browned bits). Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until enough of the bacon fat has melted to thoroughly grease the pan.
Add in the onion and garlic and continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the bacon is crispy and the onions are caramelized (30-40 minutes). Try to avoid speeding up the process by turning up the heat; we want to cook this low and slow to give the onions time to properly caramelize.
Once you have that crispy bacon and caramelized onions, add in the brown sugar and cook until fully dissolved (2-3 minutes). Bump the heat up to medium-high and add the bourbon and apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan, making sure to scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom. Continue stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated (2-3 minutes).
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The bacon fat will solidify in the fridge, so just reheat in the microwave for intervals of 20 seconds to soften again.
Jalapeño Poppers
While the bacon jam is cooking, you can start the jalapeño poppers.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the jalapeños in half length wise. Use 2-3 halves to dice up and throw into the filling for an extra kick. I'm a wimp who doesn't like things to be super spicy, so I make sure to scrape all the seeds and membrane out of the inside of the peppers. But you can leave some behind if you're braver than me.
For the filling, simply mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese (leave behind a little bit for sprinkling on top), crumbled bacon, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Then portion generously into the halved peppers.
For the panko mixture, just mix the melted butter into the panko breadcrumbs. Top the stuffed peppers with the remaining shredded cheese and panko mixture!
Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
Notes
The jalapeno poppers are best eaten the same day but will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.