Fabulous appetizer and a terrific condiment. Simple to make. Sweet, smoky flavors round out the intensity of the tomatoes and onions.
Estimated Time 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Servings 2Cups
Here's What You Need
4cupsripe roma or plum tomatoes - peeled and chopped
2slicesthick smoked bacon
2cupssweet onions - rough chop
Juice of 1 Lemon
zest of 1 lemon
3tablespoonsapple cider vinegar
6tablespoonsdark brown sugar - packed
Kosher salt to taste
Here's What You Do
Bring about 8 cups of water to a heavy boil.
Make a crosshatch on the stem end of each tomato with a sharp knife and immerse in the boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes after it returns to a boil. Remove to a bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking for about 5 minutes.
Remove the peeling and cut out the stem core, then rough chop the tomatoes.
Place the chopped tomatoes in a bowl to accumulate the liquid.
Chop the onions, zest and squeeze the lemon and measure the remaining ingredients.
Slice the bacon crossways into small strips, about ⅛ to ¼ inch.
Starting in a cold cast iron frying pan, fry the bacon over medium heat until the fat has been rendered, stirring often so that it does not scorch. About 5 minutes.
Leaving the bacon in the pan and the heat at medium, add the onions and saute until beginning to caramelize. Make sure to stir often so the onions do not scorch. About 15 minutes.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar and brown sugar and stir well.
Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes, juice from the tomatoes and a pinch of kosher salt and stir well to combine all the ingredients.
Bring the mixture to a high simmer, then reduce the heat to medium.
Stir often and smash some of the bigger tomato pieces as you go.
Continue on a low simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the mixture is beginning to thicken.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool about 10 to 15 minutes. The mixture will thicken some more as it cools.
This can be served cold or warm over crackers or toast and makes a wonderful condiment for sandwiches, burgers or hotdogs.
Yields about 2 cups.
Notes
Ripe tomatoes are the key to this recipe, although the variety does not matter so much. Roma tomatoes are very good in this and are available most of the year. Plum tomatoes are also good, as are Creole Tomatoes when they are available. Use your favorite!It's important to use a moderate to low heat for most of this recipe, Drawing the sugars out slowly and reducing the tomatoes gradually intensifies the flavors.