Smoky Bloody Maria Salsa With Mezcal AND Smoked Guacamole

The old smoker has been putting in some overtime! A little get together on Sunday with friends who love to cook (and eat!) had my trusty old smoker chugging away with a few delights - brisket and 2 kinds of salmon, for starters. The smoker also contained some, perhaps, unexpected items. Like avocados. 

Just this last week I saw a comment somewhere about smoking avocados and a lightbulb went off...BING! Smoked guacamole! Would it work? I gave it a try. 

At the same time, a Facebook cooking group I'm part of was discussing a BBQ competition one of our members (Matt the Butcher...yes, he is a butcher) is judging. The twist of being a judge for this event is that each judge was asked to bring a salsa TO BE JUDGED. The judges being judged...nice twist, eh? 

One thing led to another and eventually the idea of smoking the salsa veggies emerged, which led to emphasizing the smoke with mezcal instead of tequila and (somehow) the idea of a Smoked Bloody Maria Salsa was proposed. I HAD to try it. 

The results? Wow! Both the salsa AND the guac rocked. And they went onto the menu for the dinner party. The unexpected  smoky flavors in two traditional dips were a hit! The guac even tasted like it had bacon hidden somewhere in the ingredients...and it was totally veggie.

Just in case you've got a yen for the unexpected, here are the recipes to surprise your own guests. And good luck, Matt the Butcher...you've GOT this!

Smoked Bloody Maria Salsa With Mezcal

• 4 large Roma tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half
• 1 large jalapeno, cut in half - don't remove the seeds or ribs if you like your salsa hot

Heat up your smoker and use a combo of pecan and hickory chips. Smoke the veggies at least an hour or until soft. Remove and let cool.

Add the smoked veggies to your food processor, then add:

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• a bit of kosher salt
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T horseradish
• the juice of 1 or 2 limes - depends on how juicy your limes are, taste and adjust to your own tast
• 1-2 T mezcal
• 1/4 C or so of chopped cilantro - again, to your own taste

Buzz everything in the food processor until salsa consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with tortilla chips.

Smoked Guacamole

• 3 avocados, cut in half lengthwise, pits removed - throw the halves into the smoker, cut side down, while the veggies for the salsa are smoking - cool
• 1/4 of a medium onion, finely minced
• 1 medium garlic clove, finely miniced
• 2 T or so (adjust to your own level of heat) finely minced red jalapeno (the red is just for the color, use green if that's all you have or can find)
• the juice of a lime - or more according to your own taste
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 - 2 T cilantro, chopped

Scoop out the cooled avocado flesh and put into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mash well with a fork. The mixture will be extra creamy because the avocados are cooked, so don't expect a chunky guac. YUM! Serve with tortilla chips or use in a wrap or any other way you can imagine.

Rock the Guac!

It’s a good day to rock the guac!  But then again, what day isn’t?  Actually, it was yesterday that Mieke & I rocked it…by ourselves…shamelessly.  The original intention for the molcajete full of gorgeous green was to serve it as an app for the neighborhood picnic we threw on the deck last night.  Um…that didn’t happen.  Well, the picnic happened, it’s just the guac that didn’t make it to the party.

Lunch came, the avocados were sitting in the molcajete all pretty, practically begging to be mashed up with garlic, onion, jalapenos, cilantro, salt and lime juice.  Those avocados were sending secret messages to our mental tastebuds luring our hands to obey….make the guac now, make the guac NOW!  So we did.  And it was good.  Very, very good.  And we were happy.  

Of course, the picnic was guacamole-free last night, but there will be other nights with drinks on the deck and plenty of time to make guac for the neighbors.  Unless the avocados start sending secret messages again.   

Guacamole

• 2 nice ripe avocados
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, sliced thinly
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2-3 T. chopped onion
• 2-3 T. fresh cilantro, leaves only, chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1 juice lime - more if not juicy

Don't cut avocado until you're ready to add it to the molcajete.

In bottom of molcajete, add jalapenos, garlic, onion and cilantro.  Sprinkle with salt.  Using the stone, mash and grind the veggies into a paste or as close to it as possible. 

Now cut avocado around the perimeter and twist apart.  Remove pit, use a large spoon to scoop out all that gorgeous green goodness and add it to the molcajete.  Immediately squeeze lime juice over the avocado to prevent it from turning brown.  Mash it well into the veggies in the vessel.

Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add more lime, salt, cilantro or heat depending on your preference.  Play with it! 

NOTE:  If you don't have a molcajete, use a bowl and a fork!  Just as good...and that's what I did for many years until Mieke bought me a REAL molcajete for my birthday last year.  Do you think it was a gift for both of us?  Of course, I got her one for Christmas!  Turn about, you know?

If you want to invest in a real molcajete, Williams Sonoma has a really nice (i.e., expensive) one.  If you're lucky enough to live where there's a World Market (Pittsburgh NEEDS a World Market!!!!!!!), they carry them at a VERY reasonable price!  ($19.99 as opposed to $49 for the one at Williams Sonoma...see what I mean about NEEDING a World Market?!)