Asparagus With Bacon & Sambal-lime Vinaigrette.

Lately I’ve been thinking of spring as one big Asparagus Week. First because spring in general seems fleeting — in a flash it’s going to be summer. But secondly, and more importantly, asparagus is probably the most spring-y vegetable out there. It tends to overshadow other fun green things in season now like peas and favas. It’s probably because asparagus spears are the most gorgeous of spring vegetables: They still have that hint of sweetness, are very green-tasting and have a tender yet snappy “I’m fragile!” texture.

But, unlike fashion week that’s got glamour and inspiration, asparagus seems boxed in. Asparagus, for three months, is usually destined to be buttery and lemony. But in reality, asparagus spears can handle more flavors, a little more heat, a little spice and a lot more bacon.

To affirm my thoughts on asparagus pairings and spring vegetables in general, I pulled out this pretty neat book from my collection, “The Flavor Bible.” It’s an index of ingredients and cuisines with chefs’ suggestions for pairings. As a home cook and then as a 20-something chef, it saved me when I didn’t know what to pair with bitter radicchio; confirmed that lemon actually does go with everything; and helped plan many dinner party menus. But now I take the book’s suggestions with a grain of salt. For example, if you look up asparagus, the majority of ingredients bolded (to stress compatibility and that a lot of chefs interviewed recommended this pairing) is heavy with suggestions of dairy, herbs, fat and lemon. These are all correct pairings, but it’s right about where I throw a big dash of coarse crunchy sea salt and want to tell you about this week’s Asparagus With Bacon and Sambal-Lime Vinaigrette.

Asparagus With Bacon & Sambal-lime Vinaigrette.

Maybe it’s my penchant for adding a little heat to most of my home-cooked meals (freshly crushed chile is always by my plate-side) or my forever goal of clearing up my condiment shelves — so many open jars of this or that. I had two open jars of sambal oelek, an Indonesian red chile pepper sauce made with crushed chiles, vinegar and salt. It tastes like freshly made pepper sauce and honestly goes with just about everything.

Now this isn’t where I’m like, OK, sambal saved the day. Rather, it’s where I tell you this recipe is a combination of classic asparagus preparation (blanched), classic flavor pairings (bacon, lots of it) with the introduction of a spicy-sweet and very lime-y vinaigrette.

I first very briefly simmer the asparagus in shallow water, not a big pot of water. Unless you’re blanching a lot of asparagus or something that takes a lot of space to blanch, just about an inch of salted water in a large griddle pan works just fine.

Blanching also makes this a one-pan recipe. I dry out the pan and crisp the bacon lardons,. essentially a fancy word for larger, thicker bacon bits. Regular bacon works fine, but lardons have a chewy bite that’s hearty and delicious. Some stores will sell slabs of bacon that haven’t been sliced; otherwise, you can buy thickly sliced pancetta.

After the bacon, I use the same pan to make a very quick sambal-lime vinaigrette. I saute shallots in the warm smoky bacon fat; after about a minute, I take the pan off the heat and swirl in the sambal, lime zest, lime juice and a little brown sugar — to help temper the sambal’s heat.

This vinaigrette is spicy, sweet, tangy, and way easier than making a hollandaise sauce. The lardons of bacon are smoky and add that richness the asparagus craves. The result is a very spring-y asparagus dish that’s great for lunch on its own, as a side dish for a friend’s brunch potluck or even as a main if you add a starchy something like rice. Asparagus isn’t circumscribed, it’s not fragile, and it’s at peak season ready to show itself off. For now, leave “The Flavor Bible” on the shelf.

Christian Reynoso is a chef, recipe developer and writer. Originally from Sonoma, he lives in San Francisco. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @christianreynoso Twitter: @xtianreynoso

A delicate blanch, a punchy spicy-sweet vinaigrette and a lot of rich bacon lardons dress up asparagus for lunch, dinner or a potluck.

1½ pounds of thick asparagus spears

6 to 8 ounces slab of bacon (without skin) or pancetta

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more, if needed

Slice or snap tough bottoms off the asparagus spears and discard (or keep to make veggie broth). Slice the bacon into lardons, pieces about ½-inch thick, and set aside. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it near your stove.

FIll a large skillet (preferably 10 to 12 inches wide with high sides) with 1½ inches of water and bring to a rapid simmer. Season with enough salt so that you can taste it, but it’s not salty. Add half of the asparagus spears in the water and cook them until crisp-tender, about 45 seconds to 1 minute and 15 seconds. With tongs, quickly transfer the blanched asparagus to the prepared ice water bath and swish them around; repeat with the remaining asparagus. Let excess water drip off the spears and transfer them to a serving platter.

Discard the water in the pan, wipe it dry and then heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon lardons and cook, stirring regularly until they are golden and crispy, with some chew left so don’t get them too, too crispy. Turn off the heat and transfer the lardons to the platter with the asparagus. Make sure there are 4 tablespoons of fat in the pan; discard any excess or add more olive oil, if needed, to equal 4 tablespoons.

Turn the heat back on to medium, stir in the shallots and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the sambal, lime zest, lime juice and brown sugar until the mixture melts together. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus, sprinkle the dill over and serve.