I prefer guacamole in the classical style: no mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, or pre-made spice packets for this hombre.

Ingredients

  • 6 medium avocados (Hass-sized; soft but not dripping-mushy)
  • 2 -4 cloves garlic, minced (to taste and to suit the people around you)
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
  • .5-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like the heat)
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped (remember that cilantro tastes like soap to some people)
  • 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, minced (more if you like it hot)
  • 1-3 teaspoons hot sauce (El Tapatio or similar is better than Tabasco or Red Hot type) (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1 lime, halved

Preparation

  1. Halve avocados, remove pits, and scrape into bowl.
  2. Add garlic and cumin. Mash with fork or potato masher to desired consistency.
  3. Add onion, cilantro, jalapeno, hot sauce, and salt. Stir to combine.
  4. Add tomato and mix (gentle now).
  5. Squeeze juice from lime into bowl and mix (again, gently).
  6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Notes

  • Reasonable additions: minced black olives, salsa (salsa verde works well), tomatillos (16 or so, minced or food processed to pastiness).
  • Reasonable substitutions: black pepper or chile powder (for cayenne), serranos peppers (for jalapeno), seasoning salt (for salt).
  • If you really want to, you can add 1/4-2/3 cup or more of sour cream to extend the recipe (avocados can be expensive), but that’s where I draw the line.
  • Use limes, not lemons! The purpose of the lime is to add a bit of tanginess and preserve the color. Too much lime is OK; too much lemon not so much.
{June 6, 2011} {Tags: , }