Mexican

Chalupa is the Spanish word for "boat" and refers to the shape of the fried tortilla dough that serves as the base for these appetizers. In this version, the dough is baked in mini muffin cups and filled with chorizo, avocado, and salsa.

The pork needs time to cook and chill, so be sure to begin this recipe at least one day ahead. Put out a platter of cornbread (homemade or purchased) along with the posole.

This adaptation of a classic Mexican beer-based cocktail was created by Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City. For authenticity, Freeman suggests using Pico Piquin pepper sauce, Valentina salsa picante, and Modelo Especial lager. However, he notes that each region in Mexico employs different products, so other brands can be substituted.

This is the sort of food that seems too messy for a picnic. But a jar captures the juicy flavors of a Mexican shrimp cocktail.

Folding fruit into guacamole is an inspired tradition in Mexican cooking. Tropical mangoes are a natural pairing, their silky flesh adding a subtle tartness to creamy avocado. To herald the holiday season, pomegranate seeds flash bright red against the guacamole's cilantro-flecked green. Head over here for our guide to how to cut a pomegranate.

This is no ordinary turkey. Food editor Lillian Chou blended toasted guajillo and ancho chiles with a range of spices and aromatics to create a brick-red adobo sauce that seasons both the bird and its gravy. After a long marinate, the adobo permeates the bird's juicy meat during roasting. The resulting turkey features a savory complexity heightened by the accompanying red-chile gravy.

Literally "ranch-style eggs," huevos rancheros is a Mexican dish that consists of fried eggs in a red chile sauce served with tortillas. Here, the tortillas hold the baked eggs and beans. Serve them as soon as they come out of the oven so that the yolks don’t overcook.

A popular taco filling in Mexico, pork al pastor is usually cooked in a huge slab on a vertical rotisserie (like Middle Eastern shawarma) and sliced off to order, so that the outside bits are crisp and golden and the inside is juicy and tender. Cooks often stick an onion or a pineapple on top of the rotisserie so that its juices drip down over the well-seasoned meat. Pineapple takes a more central role in this grilled version: The puréed fruit sweetens the basting sauce, while chunks of it join the pork and onion on the skewers. A homemade salsa and an array of accompaniments invite guests to get in on the action.

In Guadalajara, this is not an uncommon breakfast, served with warm tortillas and sometimes rice and beans—since it is tequila country, we can only imagine that it's probably an excellent hangover remedy—but it's definitely flavorful enough to be a big hit at dinnertime, too. We particularly like the richness and suppleness of skirt steak, but any cut of beef with a pronounced grain, like flank or brisket, will do.

Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City, developed this adaptation of a classic cocktail. Reposado tequila, aged in oak for at least two months but less than a year, gives the drink a smooth smokiness. If you prefer a more vegetal flavor, you could substitute blanco (unaged) tequila; it's probably best to steer clear of añejo (aged in oak for at least a year but less than three years), which could darken the hue and add unwanted oak, vanilla, or caramel flavors. To sweeten his Margarita, Freeman trades the traditional sugar syrup for superfine sugar, which gives the drink a slightly grainy texture. Freeman's final signature touch: Only half the glass gets a salted rim.

Be sure to use a dry skillet when browning quesadillas.

In Chalcatongo, Jiménez purchases pit-roasted lamb, then warms up the meat in a simple tomatillo sauce rich with the earthy zing of costeño rojo chiles. On this side of the border, you'll have to cook your meat first, but our adaptation (we slow-roast it) couldn't be easier.

Wear gloves when working with super-hot chiles like habaneros.

Wear gloves when working with chiles.

These tacos don't come from a particular town or restaurant; rather, they incorporate elements from many different Yucatán grill masters. The preparation may look complicated, but it's actually pretty easy—because your guests assemble the tacos themselves.

Turkey is native to Mexico; it was a staple in the Mayan diet. I first sampled pavo en sac kol at Los Almendros in Mérida. This recipe was inspired by Rick Bayless.