The culinary traditions of the southern-most Mexican states (Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo and Yucatan) are a melding of influences of the native Mayans and the Spanish, and the dishes lean heavily toward a pork base. Some of the dishes that await you in the fine restaurants and kitchens of these states include:
Panuchos and crisp chalupas, which are toasted tortilla rounds heaped with seasoned pork, marinated onions and other vegetables
Huevos Motuleños -a layered stack of tortillas and eggs with ham and salsa, topped with cheese and peas
Chicken marinated in orange and Chile Ancho sauce
Papatzul - egg-stuffed tortillas bathed in a creamy ground pumpkin seed sauce
Asado Chiapaneco - roast pork seasoned with chiles
Chiapas style Chiles Rellenos (stuffed chile peppers) filled with a tantalizing mixture of ground pork and vegetables and topped with a creamy tomato sauce
Cochinita Pibil - spicy pork baked in banana leaves.
In San Cristóbal, Chiapas, Saturday afternoons are traditionally the time for Chiapan tamales. The tamale dough, stuffed with chiles, olives, mole, pork and other seasonings and ingredients, are wrapped in either corn husks or banana leaves and steamed to perfection.
As in most of the rest of Mexico, tacos are standard fare, but some of the unusual beverages of the area include a hot non-alcoholic fruit punch, acidified atole (a thickened drink thickened with corn starch) and a somewhat sweet beer.
Used, too, in the cuisine of the southern States are the special seasonings of Chilmole - a blend of dark chiles, roasted and ground; Achiote, or Annatto seed paste, the juice of bitter oranges, and chipotle, guajillo, ancho and habanero chiles.
Mexican Cookbooks & Recipes | Mayan Cuisine: Receipes from the Yucatan Region
Huevos Motuleños
3 corn tortillas, heated
3 T cooked black beans
2 eggs
2 slices of ham
Cooked Mexican red sauce
1/4 cup green peas, cooked
1 tbsp grated cheeseSpread 2 tortillas with beans. Heat sauce. Fry eggs. Place 1 beany tortilla on a plate, top with a slice of ham, 1 fried egg, and a bit of sauce and repeat. Top with last tortilla. Pour hot sauce over top of the stack and sprinkle peas and grated cheese on top. Serve immediately
Achiote marinade for pork and chicken
1 cup of lime or bitter orange juice, or combination of both
4 ounces achiote paste
3 cloves minced garlic
salt to tasteBlend and use as a marinade on chicken or pork, letting stand several hours. The meats can then be wrapped in foil and baked.
