Spring has finally sprung, which means that it is now time for outdoor grilling and BBQs of every sort.
One good grilling tip for the host is that while the main course is sizzling on the fire, there should be something set out so that peckish guests may take the edge off.
Take:
3 or so avocados
One half lime
1 roma tomato, chopped fine
1 small red onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground white pepper
For some reason folks new to the avocado want to peel the skin off the berry. Trust me on this, it’s easier to take each avocado, slice down from the stem end until you hit that bloody huge pit in the centre and cut around, thus splitting the avocado into two halves; then scoop the meat out of each half.
Dump the avocado meat into a bowl, sprinkle on your garlic salt and the white pepper. Give the stuff a one or two mashes with a fork, then throw on the tomato and the onion, and squeeze one half of the lime generously over the whole thing.
Mash it all up into one glorious, chunky mess and then taste. If it needs a bit more garlic salt and/or white pepper, stir in, and then serve with chips, or use as a spread on hamburgers.
Voila! Guacamole.
LawDog
Down in the Yucatan, most restaurants put a chopped jalapeno or two in as well. My recipe is nearly identical, ‘cept for the ground pepper, and I use chopped fresh garlic instead of garlic salt.
We saw one fancy eating establishment make it at the table and use fresh oranges! I am more of a garlic lover myself…
Fresh clove or two as well, also a 1/2 tsp of cumin and a shake of red pepper.
I just made this about 20 minutes ago. The bowl was licked clean.
You need some cilantro in there also my friend.
I just add a chunky salsa (has the other stuff right in it) to the crushed Guacamole. Easiest salsa.
The idea behind guacamole is not to disguise the taste of the avocado, but to enhance it.
LawMom
NO Cilantro… 🙂 And garlic and a seeded Jalapeno work wonders!
I live in northern Utah, and I’ve gone through 3 5 gal tanks of propane on my grill since Thanksgiving. No need to let a little winter weather put the binders on your BBQ habit. In my house, it is basically illegal to cook any kind of meat indoors. No matter what the weather.
I’ve nothing to add but my thanks.
The US Gu’mint — You may know them by the motto, “We’re Here to Help” — does NOT require the presence of ANY avocado or avocado by-products in the packaged greenish sludge they allow to be sold with the name Guacamole.
BTW, a touch of wasabi gives home made guac a little snap.
I like to add a shot of Tabasco, but I often cook for folks who were in the USMC, so the hot sauce is mostly to identify the contents of the bowl as being food.
“garlic salt”
Shame.
Peet in W.Ma. (who LOVES fresh garlic)
Lawdog, you actually wait for spring to get sprung before you start grilling season? I haven’t stopped since may. Just did up two containers full of fajita fixings; bell peppers, chicken and beef. Guac? There’s a place here in houston that serves it with..cream or something in it. Its a super creamy guac with a little bite to it. either wasabi or some jalapeno..not sure which.
Looks like a good recipe…for one!! 🙂
you forgot to warn them about storing the guac if made in advance-cover with plastic wrap so that no air is in contact with the guac as it will oxidize it by turning it all dark which is nasty looking.
How on earth can you call that guacamole without some good red chile powder in there?
I use roasted garlic, minced jalapeños, tomatilo & cilantro to this basic recipe. I do take out the garlic salt. But then I'm a heathen type Chef.
Because we actually LIKE the taste of avocado.
Being a Terlingua chili cookoff judge for some years, I can tell you, hot enough to peel the membrane off the inside of your mouth ain’t the way to go.
LawMom.
Who said anything about peeling membranes? The flavor of good chile powder compliments avocado better than garlic, to my palate, and when dosed appropriately to that task adds only the barest suggestion of heat.
‘Course you folks being in Texas, maybe good chile powder is a bit harder to come by. 😉
Another vote for real garlic. For my money, a pre-emptive garlic strike not only does the inner man a world of good, but also serves to eliminate the unfit from the immediate vicinity.
Unfortunately, a lot of people equate ‘real’ Mexican food with hotter than hell, so that you can’t taste anything but the burn.
As a cookoff judge, I have tasted some ghastly stuff, mostly when someone put in more jalapenos than anything else or cayenne and/or chili petins in their chili powder.
Chili powder is for chili.
LawMom
Reminds me of the joke I heard once that New Mexicans put chili cookoffs on the “arts and leisure” page of the newspaper, whereas Texans put it on “crimes and disasters”.
I was rather surprised after moving here to discover that chiles and proper chile powder contain flavor myself.
Peeling the avocado allows you to cut out those nasty black abscesses that one inevitably finds in most supermarket fruit these days. Scoop it out if you must, but remember what you are adding to the mix…I know, I’m a picky eater but the bad spots come out in guacamole from this kitchen.
+ 2 Dallops sour cream
+ a small handful of fine minced cilantro
+ 5 or 6 Tbs of Tabasco brand Chipotle hot sauce.
That is perfection.
-D.
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Personal favorite of mine: Take one avocado, pitted and mashed; Spread on warm toast, salt and pepper to taste. Ah, the simple pleasures of that which is the avocado…
I’ve very much been amused at how everyone thinks that their recipe is THE ONE.
My guacamole recipe is different every time I make it.
Today, when I threw some together for Easter dinner (what? You don’t have guacamole for Easter?), I was irritated to find that I had no more fresh garlic on hand. We tend to have tons of it, but we’d just used the last. Oh well. I put in garlic powder (boo, hiss), and it actually wasn’t bad. I also shook in a nice shake of cayenne and some dried jalepeno powder, but not enough for heat– really just to taste. Also, I used a whole lime, and still found that it needed just a little bit of citric acid to tart it up a tad. I also line my serving bowl with fresh clean lettuce leaves before serving. Beyond that, what’s to change?
Well, to read the imput from the folks here– everything, evidentally. But you won’t find ME putting sour cream IN my guac.
Enjoy, everyone. Grilling season has arrived, and we’ve opened the border to Mexican Haas advocadoes.
Very good guac lawdog!
By the by would you mind doing a post on the tea parties?
Outstanding recipe my friend.