Ancho Chile

Relish each step of preparing coffee- and chile-braised short ribs: Searing a brown crust on the ribs before they bake adds a deep caramelized flavor; sautéing the aromatics (onions, peppers, garlic) in the drippings makes the sauce base really fragrant.

Puréed ancho chilies lend a rich, sweet, and only mildly hot flavor to this chili. To make a hotter dish, do not remove the veins or seeds from the chilies. If anchos or similar dried chilies are not readily available, substitute one roasted and peeled red bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes when puréeing.

Achiote paste is a combination of vinegar, spices and annatto seeds, which have a unique, earthy taste. Basting the turkey with butter and achiote yields a moist, richly flavored bird, and the slightly piquant sauce is a refreshing change of pace from traditional gravy. Offer your favorite mashed potatoes, and pour a Pinot Noir.

This rich, subtly spicy gravy recalls the great Mexican sauce known as mole poblano. The puréed ancho chilies on which the gravy is based are often described as having a chocolatey quality; that is reinforced here with the addition of a small amount of unsweetened chocolate.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

This recipe was created to accompany <epi:recipelink id="14144">Camarones Adobados a La Parrilla (Grilled Shrimp with Ancho Pasilla Sauce).</epi:recipelink> Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At the restaurant, the burritos are filled with smoked pork, but this version, using roasted pork, also works well.

Annatto seed seasoning paste

If you can't find raw unhulled pumpkin seeds, you can substitute 6 ounces of the hulled (green) ones, but the pipián (seed-thickened sauce) will be richer. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Canela, a Latin American cousin of cinnamon, is a leading player in this sauce. Once used by affluent Romans in love potions and perfumes, the spice, derived from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen, is hugely popular in New World cuisine, in everything from soups to desserts. This recipe is a component of Grill-Roasted Rack of Lamb in Red Mole .

Market tip: All rainbow trout sold in markets are sustainably farm-raised.