Mexico: One Plate at a Time (2003)

Season 11: Episode 13

The salt marshes of Celestun and a seaside octopus farm are unlikely places for a chef to get inspired. But Chef Roberto Solis’ approach to food has always been a little different — just see the menu of his revered restaurant Nectar in Merida, which continues to charm and dazzle. In Nectar’s kitchen, Roberto shows Rick how to make three of his restaurant’s favorite dishes, cebollas negras, poc chuc de pulpo and deeply satisfying crispy, seared pork belly with grilled pineapple and tomatillo. At home, Rick makes tostadas of charred octopus with escabeche, plus a succulent slow cooker red chile pork belly with braised kale. To finish it off, Rick makes manjar blanco, a traditional Yucatecan coconut dessert.