Put the meat in a large ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Turn the meat 2 to 3 times to distribute the ingredients.

Seal tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Bring to room temperature about 1 hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Bake the meat covered with foil, until falling-apart tender, 2½ to 3 hours.

Transfer the meat to a large platter.

Pour the juices through a fine-mesh strainer over a saucepan, pressing to extract the pulp and juices.

Discard the debris.

Bring the juices to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced to about 1 cup.

When the meat is cool enough to handle, separate into chunks or shred.

Discard fat and connective tissue.

Serve the meat, sliced, with the pan juices, if desired, or the broth may be refrigerated for later use.

(Remove the congealed fat on top of the juice before using.

)

Trim the lamb of excess fat.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Rub the mixture all over the meat.

Let stand about 45 minutes.

Prepare an outdoor grill or heat an oven broiler.

Grill the lamb over hot coals or broil under a hot oven broiler, turning 3 to 4 times, until browned on the outside, and the internal temperature is 130° for medium-rare on a meat thermometer, about 25 to 30 minutes total.

Prepare the sauce.

Let the meat rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Fan a portion of the sliced lamb on individual serving plates and spoon a portion of sauce over each serving.

In a dry skillet toast the chiles, turning until fragrant, about 20 seconds.

Cut open the chiles and remove the seeds.

Cut the chiles into pieces and put in a bowl of hot water and soak for 20 minutes.

Drain and discard the water.

Transfer chiles to a blender.

Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, epazote, oregano, thyme, and 1 cup of the chicken broth.

Blend as smooth as possible.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the chile mixture along with the remaining cup of broth.

Cook the sauce, stirring, frequently, 5 minutes.

Reserve in the pan off heat.

Heat the oven to 325°.

Trim all excess fat from the lamb.

Season with salt and pepper.

Put the meat into a large casserole dish or roasting pan.

Pour the sauce over the meat.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and put on the lid.

Braise in the oven 2½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is falling-apart tender, and easily pulls away from the bone.

Serve chunks of meat and the sauce in shallow soup bowls.

Prepare the seasoning paste.

Mix 2 tablespoons of the paste with the vinegar and rub all over the meat.

Cover and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Store the remaining paste for later use.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and the seasoned meat.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the meat is tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove the cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes more to thicken a bit and reduce some of the liquid.

Add salt, if needed.

Serve with white beans or steamed rice.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Trim excess fat from the pork.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook the pork, turning, 2 to 3 times, until lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the browned meat to a wide 3-quart ovenproof casserole dish.

In the same skillet, cook the onion, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, and thyme.

Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and ¼ cup of water.

Bring to a boil.

Pour the tomatoes over the meat.

Add the serrano chile.

Cover and place in the oven.

Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 325° and cook 1 hour or until falling-apart tender.

Adjust the seasoning.

Leave the meat in the oven, turned off, while cooking the squash.

When the meat is tender, melt the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until it sizzles.

Add the 2 tablespoons of chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the squash and 2 tablespoons of water.

Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until the squash is crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add salt and pepper.

Adjust seasoning.

Put the meat in a large saucepan and barely cover with water.

Add ½ teaspoon of the salt.

Bring to a boil, skimming the foam as needed; then reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.

Drain the broth into a container and reserve.

Reserve the meat off heat, covered, in the pan.

Meanwhile, in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles, turning and pressing with a spatula, until fragrant, about 20 seconds.

Cut the chiles open and remove the seeds.

Put the chiles in a bowl of hot water and soak for 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet.

Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, oregano, marjoram, cinnamon, cloves, and the remaining salt.

Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer to a blender.

Drain the chiles and add to the blender.

Discard the liquid.

To the blender, add ¾ cup of reserved pork broth, pineapple juice and vinegar.

Purée until very smooth.

Add the sauce to the pork and stir.

Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to low.

Add the brown sugar and chocolate.

Cook, stirring, until the chocolate melts, about 5 minutes.

Cover and simmer the stew, stirring frequently to prevent sticking on the bottom, 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Adjust seasoning.

The sauce should be thick enough to coat the meat.

If too thick, add a little more of the pork broth.

(Leftover broth can be frozen.

)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat.

Brown the meat, in batches, and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper.

Remove the browned meat to a bowl as it browns.

Add the onions, oregano, and remaining salt to the pan and cook, partially covered, stirring frequently to scrape up browned bits from the pan bottom, about 2 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and return the meat and collected juices to the pan.

Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil.

Cover and place in the oven and cook 45 to 50 minutes or until the meat is very tender.

Add salt, if needed.

Place the sorted and rinsed black beans in a saucepan and add 4 cups of water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let soak 30 minutes.

Return the beans to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender and the broth thickens, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

When the beans are tender, season with salt.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide deep skillet over medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches.

Transfer the meat to a bowl as the pieces are browned.

In the same skillet, cook the onion with 2 tablespoons of water, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Return the meat to the pan, including any collected juices from the bowl.

Add the salt and mix to combine.

Turn off the heat and reserve in the pan.

Put all of the remaining ingredients in a blender, except the reserved beans, and blend until smooth.

Stir the purée into the pork mixture and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the sauce thickens and the meat is tender, about 45 minutes.

Drain off the broth from the beans into a container and save for another use.

Add the drained beans to the pork.

Cook slowly, over low heat, about minutes, to blend for flavors.

Adjust seasoning.

Preheat oven broiler, and roast the chiles on a baking sheet placed on the top shelf of the oven under the broiler.

With tongs, turn the chiles until lightly charred all over, 6 to 7 minutes.

Put the roasted chiles in a plastic bag to steam 5 to 6 minutes; then rinse under cold running water, 1 at a time, and rub or peel off the skins.

Cut the chiles open, remove the seeds, and cut into 1⁄2-inch dice.

Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, and stir-fry the onion and garlic, 4 to 5 minutes, until starting to brown.

Remove to a bowl.

Add the meat, and stir-fry until no longer pink on the surface, 4 to 5 minutes.

Return the onion and garlic to the pan.

Add the oregano, marjoram, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Stir in the broth and the Maggi.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 25 minutes.

Add the carrots, potato, and cilantro.

Cook until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the reserved chiles.

Heat through about 5 minutes and serve.

Cut the chiles into about 4 pieces and toast in a medium skillet, over medium heat, pressing with a spatula until they are aromatic and change color, 10 to 15 seconds.

Submerge them in a bowl of hot water and soak 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil.

Add the plantain and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.

Remove to a plate and reserve.

In the same skillet, toast the almonds, stirring, until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer to a blender.

Add the onion and garlic to the same skillet, and cook until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, and allspice.

Cook until the tomatoes soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Put in the blender with the almonds.

Add the soaked chiles and ¼ cup of the chile water, or tap water.

Blend very well until thick and smooth.

Reserve.

In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and cook the meat, turning, until no longer pink on the outside, 6 to 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add 1½ cups of water.

Bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.

Add the sweet potato and reserved sauce.

Cook until the potato is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the pineapple and reserved plantain.

Cook until hot and bubbling, 6 to 8 minutes.