Roy Choi slathers his pork shoulder with a powerful marinade of garlic, citrus, and herbs, then lets it sit overnight before roasting the meat until crispy.

Chef José Andrés bakes whole fish in a salt crust until it's perfectly moist and seasoned. His trick is to leave the scales on the fish, which makes the skin very easy to peel off after baking.

Photographer Romulo Yanes lets the requisite caramel sauce in this vanilla-flecked flan go a shade darker for a faint bitter edge that cuts through the dense, sweet custard. For a distinctly Cuban touch, he tops the flan with a rum-spiked whipped cream.

The addition of coconut milk, while not part of every adobo recipe, softens the bright vinegar in this version, inspired by sommelier June Rodil, who adds just enough to make the dish super wine-friendly. “I was born in the Philippines, and this is the staple there. Like, if you can’t make it, we’re talking disinheritance," Rodil says. After braising chicken thighs in creamy coconut milk, soy sauce, and vinegar, the braising liquid gets cooked down into a rich sauce. Pat down the chicken thighs before they finish cooking under the broiler to ensure deliciously crispy skin.

Lightly sweetened coconut rice pudding provides a custardy contrast to the tender masa in these dreamy dessert tamales. Drizzled with sweet and buttery goat's milk caramel, they also make a festive holiday breakfast.

This bowl of rice noodles tossed with shrimp balls, cabbage, and snow peas in a rich sauce is savory and comforting. The crushed chicharrones on top lend each bite some crunch, while the cilantro packs a punch of brightness and the calamansi juice cuts through the saltiness of the noodles to provide salty and sour balance.

We reimagined our favorite Filipino stew into a rich soup with slow-cooked beefy oxtails, noodles, and a hint of nutty flavor.

For his lumpiang sariwa recipe, 2021 F&W Best New Chef Carlo Lamagna of Portland, Oregon, skips the deep fryer and instead makes these tender spring rolls by wrapping delicate homemade coconut crêpes around lettuce leaves filled with fresh vegetables. Topped with a sauce of soy sauce simmered with brown sugar and star anise and sprinkled with crunchy chopped peanuts, these lumpiang sariwa make a nice appetizer or light meal.

Pastry chef Paola Velez gives Bananas Foster, the classic flambéed dessert, a Caribbean twist by swapping out bananas for plantains and adding warm spices and coconut water to the caramel sauce. If you can't find extra ripe plantains, place them in a brown paper bag and leave them in a warm, dark place until they ripen—very green plantains could take a week or more. When flambéing, make sure to have the lid for your skillet on hand in case the flame gets out of control and you need to smother it. Rum raisin ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to the caramelly plantains.

Bright with lime juice, this pozole recipe is rich from two cuts of pork and savory from the hominy and dried ancho and guajillo chiles in the mix.

The secret to these meatless Cuban-style black beans is to cook them at least a day in advance to allow the garlicky flavors to develop.

For Chef JJ Johnson, celebrating Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, includes cooking pasteles with family.