Avovado Relish from the Mesa Grill

Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill put Southwestern cooking on the fine-dining map, and this avocado relish is a perfect example of the approach: simple ingredients, precise cuts, bright acid, and heat from jalapeño. It’s not guacamole. It’s chunkier, less mashed, and built to sit alongside a main dish rather than scoop up chips.

The lime juice does two jobs here: it adds brightness and slows the browning that hits cut avocado fast. Make sure you’re using fresh squeezed, not bottled. That tablespoon makes a noticeable difference in flavor.

The directions note to use a non-corrosive bowl, meaning glass, ceramic, or stainless steel. The lime juice can react with aluminum and pick up a metallic taste. Worth remembering any time you’re working with acidic ingredients.

Return to room temperature before serving, as the directions specify. Cold avocado mutes flavor significantly.

Pro Tips

• Dice the avocado into roughly half-inch cubes to keep this a relish rather than a mash
• Seed the jalapeño for moderate heat; leave a few seeds in if you want more kick
• Make it no more than 2 hours ahead; lime juice only slows browning, it doesn’t stop it
• Tastes best the same day it’s made

Variations

• Swap cilantro for flat-leaf parsley if you’re in the cilantro-averse camp
• Add finely diced mango for a tropical spin that pairs well with grilled shrimp