Prep Ahead For These Mexican Fiesta Recipes

In this salsa recipe, tomatillos are softened on the grill and slightly charred for smoky flavor. To vary the heat, use 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder for mild and up to 3 teaspoons for a little kick in the pants.

Habanero chile gives this caramelized pineapple salsa recipe a little spice. If you're looking to tame the heat, try fresh jalapeños instead.

Make-ahead tip: The flavors of these two salsas have a chance to fully develop when you make them the day before. On fiesta day, let them stand at room temperature for about an hour to get the chill out before serving.

Dried chiles are toasted, soaked and pureed to make a flavorful steak marinade. Toasting the chiles in a heavy, dry skillet is the key to unlocking their flavor (not just their heat). Look for dried chiles in the produce section of many markets.

Make-ahead tip: Skirt steak is best when it has time to soak up the flavors of any seasonings. Make this toasted chile marinade up to 5 days ahead and rub it on the steak the day before the party. All that's left to do: grill and slice.

This authentic recipe for black beans uses avocado leaves to add a flavor reminiscent of anise. If you don't have a Latin market in your area you'll likely have to go online to get avocado leaves, though it's worth it. But even if you leave them out, you'll still have an awesome pot of black beans.

Make-ahead tip: A pot of black beans takes 1 to 2 hours to become tender, depending on how fresh your beans are. Make them up to 3 days ahead and then slowly reheat on the stovetop (thinning with a little broth or water as needed) about an hour before serving.

This chunky Mexican side dish called rajas, which literally means "strips" in Spanish, is a perfect side to grilled steak or chicken and a fantastic taco topper.

Make-ahead tip: Do a little pre-party multitasking: while the black beans are simmering, grill and peel the poblanos for this taco topping.

Escabeche, a quick pickling of already-cooked food, is a common way of preparing fish and vegetables in Mexico. In this version, the shrimp are grilled first, then infused with flavor from a chile, herb and vinegar marinade.

Make-ahead tip: You can make the marinade for these zesty shrimp a day or two ahead. Then about an hour before your guests arrive, pop the shrimp on the grill; let them marinate as the party heats up.

We've knocked back the sugar quite a bit in this agua fresca recipe. This refreshing drink is often a way that Mexicans use up their leftover fruit, so feel free to use this technique with whatever fruit you have, especially other melons and tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.

Make-ahead tip: Make the agua fresca one day in advance.