Anyone who celebrates Cinco de Mayo has his or her favorite dishes and traditions, if only a margarita and a bowl full of chips, or a couple of icy mugs of Tecate or Dos Equis.

Those simple choices are fine with Eric Williams. For as seriously as he treats his version of "Mod Mexican" cuisine, anyone who knows the young chef-owner of Momocho restaurant in Cleveland's Ohio City understands that Williams doesn't bow to a whole lot of rituals and traditions.

"We don't do anything special for Cinco," he says. "We open. We're not in Mexico. For us, Cinco de Mayo is another reason to go out and have some fun. It's another reason to go out and celebrate: "Let's go out, have some Mexican food and have some laughs."'

Unlike many other holidays, specific foods aren't necessarily prescribed for Cinco de Mayo. Williams explains the selection of dishes he chose for his menu.

"There are really three things I did here: the carnitas, a silver margarita and the sauces. What it says to the reader is that it might be a simple menu, but they're full flavors and well-rounded - kind of like a twist on a traditional dish, and that's what Momocho's about, really," Williams says.

That selection is also a sort of an introductory sampler of the sorts of dishes he likes to create, he adds.

"We try and entice first-time customers to try the machaca - a coffee-and-ancho-roasted beef brisket - or the carnitas. Both are tacos, very simple.

"When people hear it's basically a beef brisket, or a braised pork taco, their idea of what they'll get is very simple, so they can begin to trust our cooking."

But Momocho's idea is to put a twist on things: say, an acidic, citrusy-smoky sauce on the side of the machaca, or the honeyed chipotle mojo Williams serves with the pork carnitas. Such dishes are served in a small cassoulet dish, along with corn tortillas and a side sauce.

"Hopefully, after a taste, we'll have exceeded their expectation of a taco. And then when they come back in, they'll be willing to try something different," Williams says.

That's a philosophy that has taken Williams an extra mile. In its March issue, Bon Appetit magazine included Momocho in its "Hot Ten" list of contemporary Mexican restaurants around the United States.

Here are some of his tips to make the most of the meal:

• Think fresh: Really excellent Mexican cuisine relies on excellent fresh ingredients selected at their peak. "The key is using the best products possible," says Williams. "If you're going to use fruit, use fresh fruit, not canned or frozen. Use a good, top-quality pork butt or shoulder, not frozen meat. That's cheaper, but the fresher the better. Good vinegars, fine oils: Those are the keys to success, something you can't screw around with by cutting corners."

• Pair entrees, sauces for maximum punch: "Always go for something different, contrasts. It's really the science of food," says Williams. "Take the carnitas. They have a medium-hotness, but they're paired with a smokier, hotter side sauce. On the other hand, the machaca is much spicier - but it's paired with a cooling guacamole. Or the pescado, which is a grilled mahi-mahi taco. That one is mild and sweet, then we pair it with a spicier, pineapple-and-habanero salsa."

• Making the most of guacamole: It's such a simple dish, yet it's so routinely massacred (and many home cooks are terrified of messing it up). "I just don't understand!" Williams says, laughing. "I mean, you mash avocados! Here's what you do: Find good, soft avocados. By adding the kosher salt and garlic to the bowl, and then mashing in the avocados, that simple step does two things: It acts as an abrasive and breaks down the avocado - and secondly, it incorporates a lot of flavor. Other than that, just use fresh-squeezed lime juice and good, fresh garlic. Don't shortcut: that plastic lime, or garlic in a bottle of oil? Who knows how long it's been on the shelf?"

An easy make-ahead (but not too far ahead): "Actually, it's pretty true - you can make sauces like the mojo in advance. Salsas and sauces are like a good soup: If you make it a day or two ahead of time, the flavors combine and develop," says Williams. "But you don't want a good, fresh vegetable to sit around too long, like in a chopped salsa, because the water will begin to release and it begins to dilute down the flavors. But a day or so ahead is fine, if that makes it easier for you to put together everything for a party."

• Want a nice, fresh-tasting side dish? With the cost of rice going up, a simple, white steamed rice would go well, or a rice made with fresh peas, corn and tomatoes, plus lots of cilantro would be good, Williams says.

Makes about 1 quart

1 (26-ounce) can tomatillos

1 small yellow/Spanish onion

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch scallions

1 jalapeno pepper (see cook's notes)

4 cloves garlic

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon salt

Cook's notes: For less intense heat, scrape away and discard seeds from jalapeno before combining chile with other ingredients.

Preparation: Reserve the liquid from the tomatillos. This liquid can be used to thin the salsa during the puree process. Peel and chop Spanish onion, and remove stems from cilantro and jalapeno pepper. Chop the ends from the scallions. Place all ingredients into blender and puree until smooth.

Source: Eric Williams, executive chef/owner Momocho; www.momocho.com.

Makes about 1 quart

1 (7.5-ounce) can chipotles en adobo

1 cup fresh lime juice

½ cup honey

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup yellow mustard

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ bunch cilantro

Preparation: Use only the whole chipotle chiles. Reserve the adobo or "paste" for the carnitas recipe. Remove stems from cilantro and place all ingredients into blender. Puree until smooth.

Source: Eric Williams, executive chef/owner Momocho; www.momocho.com.

Makes 10-12 servings

1 pork shoulder, about 5 pounds

½ cup vegetable oil

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

1 large yellow/Spanish onion

2 oranges

3 limes

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

2 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup adobo, chile paste reserved from canned chipotles

1-2 cups water

Preliminaries: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Trim pork shoulder of excessive fat and cut into 1 inch cubes.

Preliminaries: Cut carrot, celery and onion into a small dice and cut oranges and limes into halves.

Brown the vegetables, pork: Heat a large rondo, or braising pan, on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Pour in oil and saute diced vegetables. After 3-4 minutes add cubed pork shoulder. Cook for 5-7 minutes until pork begins to brown.

Season the mixture: Add salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Next, add orange and lime halves. Add vinegars and adobo paste, followed by 1 to 2 cups water, or enough to almost cover cubed pork.

Bake the pork: Cover with lid or foil and place in oven. Cook about 2 hours or until pork is fork tender.

Presentation: Remove from oven and serve with tortillas, guacamole, salsa verde and chipotle mojo. Traditional garnishes include grated sharp dry cheeses, radishes, sour cream, shredded cabbage and limes.

Source: Eric Williams, executive chef/owner Momocho; www.momocho.com.

Makes 64 ounces/half gallon

16 ounces Patron Silver tequila

28 ounces Lemix sour mix

6 ounces fresh lime juice

8 ounces Gran Marnier or orange liquor

6 ounces Cointreau

Fresh lime juice to moisten rims of glasses

Kosher salt to coat rims of glasses

Orange or lime wedges, to garnish

Preparation: Add all ingredients in a large pitcher. Stir well. Moisten rims of glasses with fresh lime juice and then roll in kosher or coarse salt. Fill glass with ice and pour.

Presentation: Serve with orange or lime wedge.

Source: Eric Williams, executive chef/ owner Momocho; www.momocho.com.

Makes 4 cups

12 ripe avocados (see cook's notes)

1 small yellow/Spanish onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 small bunch fresh cilantro, minced and stems removed

1 jalapeno chile, minced

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons kosher or coarse salt

Cook's notes: Choose dark green Haas avocados that are lightly soft to the touch. You can purchase hard avocados (green) and ripen them by placing in a brown bag in a warm spot. May take 1 to 2 days to ripen. Removing the jalapeno seeds will reduce the amount of heat. Roll the lime by hand on countertop or microwave for 10 seconds. This will yield the most juice.

Preparation: Peel, pit avocados and place pulp in a plastic or metal bowl. Add salt, chopped onion, minced garlic and lime juice and begin to mash to desired consistency. The salt will act as an abrasive and will help infuse the other flavors. Add the minced cilantro and jalapeno chile to the mashed avocados. You can add as much or as little as you desire. Stir to incorporate all the flavors.

Some alternatives: Add diced tomatoes, goat or blue cheeses, habanero chiles, roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, smoked fish or tropical fruits.

Source: Eric Williams, executive chef/owner Momocho; www.momocho.com.