achiote

The main igredient is the achiote, the little seeds they grind up(mortar and pestle) and mixed with ingredients to make the paste.

Red

1/2 cup annatto seeds
10 toasted cloves garlic
1 cup bitter orange juice
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
6 allspice berries
3 cloves

Green

2 tablespoons annatto seeds
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup ancho chile powder
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon toasted and ground dried Mexican oregano
3 cloves garlic, pan-roasted until brown and soft, then peeled
1/2 medium-sized white onion, thickly sliced, pan-roasted until brown and soft
1/4 cup pineapple vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

john would be the one to ask for all of the uses, but a seasoning for meats is definitely one, as would be a rub. i added something similar to a pot of beans and the resulting flavour was out of this world. seemes to me that achiote is the "season-all" of latin cooking!

Here's a recipe I found for a dry rub.