Asparagus With Balsamic Onions and Bacon

You can check out the entire video of the dads making this dish here:

Adapted from "America's Test Kitchen"

1 pound asparagus, bottom inch removed

1 large (or 2 medium) red onion, halved and sliced about 1/8" thick

1/2 pound bacon (I like black forest bacon) diced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Cook chopped bacon until the fat is rendered and bacon bits are crisp under medium heat, stirring. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels.

Pour out as much (or as little) of the bacon fat as desired. But leave at least 1 tablespoons worth in the pan. Add onions, a pinch of salt and pepper and saute until very soft under medium/medium low heat.

Mix balsamic vinegar and maple syrup in a bowl. Pour on sauted onions, turn heat up to medium high and cook until the liquid is thick and syrupy, five to ten minutes.

Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Add enough asparagus to cover the bottom of the pan but don't overcrowd the pan. (cook in batches). Add a pinch of salt and pepper, cook covered under medium high heat for five minutes. Uncover, add more oil if needed, and cook for another five minutes. Keep cooked asparagus covered while next batch cooks.

Place cooked asparagus on a platter. Spoon onions on top, and then sprinkle the bacon on top of that.

You can substitute any green vegetable with this recipe. Bacon. It makes everything better.