Prep: Pat the 12 shrimp dry with paper towels. Zest the lime and then juice it (you’ll need about 1 tablespoon juice). Chop the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Core, seed and slice the poblano into 1/2-inch strips. Slice 1/2 red onion into thin half-moons. If your cauliflower isn’t riced, chop into florets and pulse in a food processor until it resembles coarse rice (about 4 cups). Chop the cilantro.

Prep: Rinse and pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Slice the poblano into 1/2-inch strips, thinly slice the 1/2 red onion. Chop the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Juice the lime and reserve the juice; finely chop the cilantro. Rice the cauliflower if not pre-riced: cut into florets and pulse in a food processor until grain-sized (about 4 cups).

Season the shrimp: In a bowl toss the shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and half the lime juice (about 1/2 tablespoon). Let sit while you cook the bacon (this brightens flavor without over-maring).

Cook the bacon: Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the 4 bacon slices and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp and browned, about 8–10 minutes. Use tongs to transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate. Leave about 1–2 tablespoons bacon fat in the skillet (pour off excess if there's more).

Sauté the poblano and onion: With the skillet still over medium heat and using the reserved bacon fat, add 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil if the pan looks dry. Add the sliced poblano and the sliced red onion, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred at the edges, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer the cooked veggies to a plate and set aside.

Cook the bacon: Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pan. If there’s more than 1 tablespoon fat in the pan, spoon off excess leaving about 1 tablespoon for sautéing the veg.

Sauté the poblano and onion: Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to the pan with the bacon fat and increase heat to medium-high. Add the poblano strips and sliced red onion, season with a pinch of salt and pepper (about 1/8 tsp salt), and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges are browned and the vegetables are softened, 5–6 minutes. Remove vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

Cook the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry again and season both sides with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the shrimp in a single layer (work in two batches if needed). Cook 1.5–2 minutes per side, until the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through. Remove the shrimp to the plate with the veggies.

Cook the shrimp: Wipe the pan lightly if there’s burned bits, keep about 1 teaspoon of fat/oil in the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil and heat until shimmering. Add the seasoned shrimp in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 1.5–2 minutes until the undersides are pink and seared. Flip and cook another 1–1.5 minutes until opaque and just cooked through (total shrimp cook time ~3–4 minutes). Remove shrimp to the bowl with the poblano and onion.

Combine alambre: Reduce heat to medium. Return the cooked poblano, onion, and chopped bacon to the skillet with the shrimp. Squeeze the juice of half the lime (about 1 tablespoon) over the mixture and toss for 1 minute to warm everything together and marry the flavors. Taste and adjust salt/pepper if needed. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and remove from heat.

Finish the alambre: Return the reserved bacon to the pan to warm, add the shrimp-poblano-onion mixture back to the skillet, toss gently over medium heat for 30–60 seconds to marry flavors. Add remaining lime juice (about 1/2 tablespoon), lime zest, chopped cilantro, and adjust seasoning with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, tasting and adjusting to preference. Remove from heat.

Make the cauliflower rice: While cooking the vegetables and shrimp (or use a second skillet), heat a separate large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the riced cauliflower and 1 teaspoon of avocado oil if the pan is dry (you may use any leftover bacon fat instead). Sprinkle with the remaining pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon) and sauté, stirring, until the cauliflower is tender but not soggy, about 6–8 minutes. Finish with the juice of the remaining half lime and a small pinch of black pepper.

Serve: Divide the cauliflower rice between two plates. Spoon the shrimp alambre (shrimp, bacon, poblano, onion) over the rice. Garnish with additional cilantro and an optional extra lime wedge. Serve hot.

Make the cauliflower rice: While you cooked the shrimp (or in a second skillet if you prefer), heat a separate large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon avocado oil (or a splash of bacon fat if you reserved more) and the riced cauliflower. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy, 6–8 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice (about 1/2 tablespoon) and a sprinkle of lime zest if you like.

Serve: Divide the cauliflower rice between two plates (about 2 cups riced cauliflower per plate). Top with the shrimp alambre (6 shrimp and half the bacon-veg mixture per plate). Spoon any pan juices over the top and garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro and a lime wedge.

Tips & storage: For more char, finish the poblano under a broiler or over a gas flame before slicing. Leftovers keep in an airtight container up to 2 days — store rice and shrimp separately and reheat gently in a skillet to avoid overcooking shrimp.