Chicken pibil with homemade achiote

Pulverize achiote seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, salt, Mexican cinnamon, cloves and Mexican oregano in the blender.

Add vinegar and garlic, pulse, let steep, then blend until a dab rubbed between the fingers is completely smooth. The paste keeps for months in the refrigerator.

Add orange juice and lime juice, one part to two, and blend just to combine into a marinade.

Pour over chicken thighs; best covered and refrigerated for several hours.

Roast the banana peppers directly over a gas flame, turning, until blackened and blistered all over.

Coat a pan with a little oil and saute thickly sliced onion until it starts to brown.

Cool the chilies, rub off the blackened skin under a drip of water, cut off the tops, slit, scrape out the seeds, roll up and cut crosswise into quarter-inch slices; add to the onion.

Defrost frozen banana leaves overnight in the refrigerator, cut into one-foot squares, keep strips of rib for ties, and soften over an open flame (or rolled up in a steamer about 20 minutes).

On two leaves, place two chicken thighs, two tomato slices, some chili-onion mixture and a little salt; fold up and tie with a rib strip or butcher's twine.

Put the six packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs.

Unwrap, fold the leaves under and top with pickled red onions.