Chicharrones Guisados (Stewed Fried Pork Rinds)

Deep fried pork rinds get simmered in a tomatillo and tomato-based sauce.

Cochinita Pibil (Yucatán-Style Barbecued Pork)

Make Yucatán-style cochinita pibil with a zippy marinade, banana leaves, and a grill to reproduce the sweet, earthy flavors traditionally gained by cooking in an underground oven.

Tacos de Castacán Con Queso (Yucatecan Pork Belly and Cheese Tacos)

Castacán is the Yucatecan version of crispy pork belly. These tacos are crisped up on a griddle, then topped with shredded cheese. As the cheese melts, it oozes into the spaces between the meat, binding the bits of pork belly together. The whole thing sizzles until the cheese is browned and crisped.

Fried Yuca with Spicy Mayo

Fried yuca is like the crispier, creamier version of french fries. Ours is served with a sweet, hot, and tangy mayo for dipping.

How to Make Colombian-Style Chicharrones

Here's how to turn pork belly into golden and crispy crackling bits.

Salpicón (Nicaraguan Minced Meat)

A traditional Nicaraguan dish made of lean simmered beef finely chopped with onions and bell peppers, optionally sautéed in butter, and finished with a squeeze of lime.

Arroz Aguado (Nicaraguan Chicken and Rice Stew)

Arroz con pollo finds its way into nearly every Central and South American country in some form or another. The Nicaraguan version is more soupy and stew-like than the fluffier versions you may be used to, but no less delicious.

Chicharrón Burrito

This is deep-fried pork belly on top of a pile of puréed beans enriched with flecks of melted cheese, which can be rolled up into a tortilla so that, depending on when you eat the pork belly, it is either chewy and saturated with bean-y flavor, or still crispy and dry.

Fried Plantains With Black Beans, Roasted Poblanos, Avocado, and Pickled Red Onion

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Patacones are the Colombian equivalent of Caribbean tostones—double-fried green plantains. Just like cooking a french fry, you start with a starchy chunk of green plantain, cook it once at a low temperature, then cook it a...

Papadzules From 'Yucatán'

A dish of egg-filled tortillas smothered in a smooth, rich pumpkin seed and epazote broth, papadzules are fixtures of cantinas and restaurants throughout the region. Papadzules are not totally unlike enchiladas moles, but, lacking the cheese and chilies of the more recognizable sauce, the dish is far more delicate.