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the mayans actually ruled the aztecs before they (the aztecs) rose in power and dominated central mexico. the aztecs revolted against the mayans and had many wars with them and finally moved en-masse, to escape the mayans, to the north-central part of mexico. legend has it that their seer said that they would be free when they found a place where they would see an eagle killing a serpent (indicative of the mayans who bowed to kukulkan, the feathered serpent god.) as they traveled, much like the wandering jews, they came across a lake where they saw a small island where a huge cactus grew. on top of the cactus, they saw an eagle killing a serpent.

they decided then, that was THE place, and settled on the island in the lake, which provided a defensive barrier for them. they built up the islands in the lake and that became the ancient city of tenochtitlan, where the aztec empire grew. this capital on the lake of the aztec empire was later encountered and conquered by cortez. eventually, the lake dried out over the centuries and what was tenochtitlan is now the central downtown portion of mexico city.

aside from being the capital of the aztec empire, tenochtitlan was also a center of trade on routes that extended as far as the inca empire to the south and the four-corners area to the north, and beyond. indeed, the aztecs were related, both by language and by blood, to the ute and shoshone tribes in colorado, wyoming, utah, idaho and montana. further, the obsidian for the blades used by the aztecs for their grisly human sacrifices actually came from the yellowstone region.

to reflect this rich history of migration, conquest and trade, i am forming this meal around various elements, centering on the aforementioned smoked pork barbecue (cerdo a la barbacoa) which will feature two halves of boston butt. cortez documented barbecue-style practices for cooking meat upon his arrival; the common, native meats cooked at that time were javelina, which looks like a small pig but is actually a rodent, and turkey, but we will be using pork, which was subsequently introduced by spain. also included will be ecuadorian choclo loaf, which reaches back to the inca empire, and a version of anasazi beans, which predate the pueblo and navajo cultures in the american southwest. further, i will be incorporating seasonings, herbs and spices that would have been familiar to the conquering spaniards; the resulting subtleties in flavours will be the glue binding the elements of this feast together, much as the influx of spanish language, culture and religion did to these same areas during the 300 years following the arrival and conquest of cortez.