If you have spent any time at our house during a gathering, you have had this. Hunter makes it every single time people come over — it does not matter if it is a job site cookout or Sunday family dinner. He has been making the same version for years, and the bowl is always empty before the night is over.
The thing about Hunter's guacamole is that he does not measure anything. He has made it enough times that it just comes out right, and the honest truth is that the recipe is simple enough that you do not need measurements either. Start with three ripe avocados — the Hass ones, dark and just barely soft when you press them. Cut them in half, pull the pit, and scoop everything into a bowl. He uses a fork, not a fancy masher, because he likes it with some texture. You want it chunky enough that you know you are eating avocado, not baby food.
From there it is lime, salt, one jalapeño, and a small handful of fresh cilantro. The lime juice is the backbone — squeeze one whole lime in, and do not be shy about it. The acid is what keeps everything bright and stops it from going dark on you. Salt generously. Taste it. Add more. Most people under-salt guacamole and then wonder why it tastes flat. The jalapeño gets seeded and minced fine — you want a little heat in every bite, not a surprise in one unlucky chip. And the cilantro just gets roughly chopped and stirred in at the end. If someone in your house does not eat cilantro, you can leave it out, but Hunter would not recommend it.
That is the whole recipe. No onion, no tomato, no garlic — he has tried all of those and keeps coming back to this. Sometimes the best version of something is the one where you stop adding things.
Make it about an hour before everyone arrives and let it sit covered at room temperature. The flavors come together in that time in a way they do not straight out of the bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap right against the surface so it does not brown, and then just leave it alone. By the time people are walking through the door, it will be exactly right.