Ancho Chile

Grilled brownies—yes, that’s right. Brownies are simple to cook on a barbecue, and this recipe, warmed with a touch of ancho chile, is really easy.

Menudo is typically served on weekends (whether that means family reunions, dressed in your Sunday best—or as an ideal hangover cure). The earthiness of the hominy and smoky chiles makes this dish one you’ll crave for weekends to come. Dried snow mushrooms are easy to find online and at many East Asian grocery stores. Their frilly, honeycomb-like texture provides a similar look and bite to the pancita—a.k.a. beef stomach—used in traditional menudo, making this dish accessible to almost anyone. W.…

Enchiladas are my comfort food: warm corn tortillas bathed in a slightly sweet, spicy, and bright sauce of chiles and tomato, wrapped around either a quick sauté of whatever veggies I have hanging out in the fridge or the creamy potato mash used here.

If you like your ribs extra saucy, remove them from the grill when they’re ready, baste them one last time with the barbecue sauce, then throw them back on the grill to make them nice and sticky.

An ancho chile spice mix serves double-duty in this dinner: it's the sweet and zesty rub for the tenderloin, and the seasoning for roasted squash and Brussels sprouts.

Forget dip: this zesty spiced salt wakes up any sliced raw fruit or veggie—don’t feel limited to the ones listed in the recipe.

If you can’t find ají amarillo chiles for this grilled squid recipe, substitute with the paste, which is more widely available. Add 2 tsp. paste to dressing before adding the oil.

Of all the sauces I make, this is definitely in the top three for both flavor and utility. Not only does it make delicious Red Chicken Enchiladas, but it’s a perfect base for chili, and it adds a delightful piquancy to most Mexican or southwestern dishes.

These pressure cooker enchiladas are all about the tortillas and the ancho chile sauce. Shredded chicken and cheese round out the Mexican-American favorite.

This recipe can be kerneled and served on top of a burger or eaten straight off the cob, dressed in cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese.

Though Birrieria Zaragoza uses goat, this deeply spiced braise is equally good with lamb.

These richly-spiced enchiladas are a totally worthwhile weekend cooking project.

Smoky ancho chiles add heft to the beef meatballs in this recipe, which are topped with addictively crispy crumbled chorizo just before serving.

Ancho chilies are dried Poblano chilies, and have an earthy, sweet flavor and mild heat level. This classic tortilla soup is a creative way to use leftover turkey—substitute 1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked turkey for the chicken.

This cowboy-style "bowl of red" is all about tender chunks of beef chuck and a five-chile-pepper purée.

Tender chicken shot through with a simple marinade and livened with a spicy-sweet Tex-Mex sauce works well for a casual dinner party or a regular old Wednesday night. This dish, originally from Golden Annie’s in Frisco, Colorado, can be prepared in advance, although don’t worry if you only have time to let the chicken marinate a few hours.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other Mexican classics, check out the video classes.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other Mexican classics, check out the videos.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other Mexican classics, check out the video classes.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other Mexican classics, check out the video classes.

There are two secrets to outstanding guacamole: chop the avocados instead of mashing them, and include a smoke-flavored chile. The richest and most flavorful avocados are the rough-skinned Hass variety. Because avocados turn dark when exposed to air, store guacamole in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface. Make it within hours of serving.

As its name implies, this sauce is extremely versatile—you can brush it on chicken (whole or parts), ribs, steak, even vegetables. A small amount of butter is added at the end for a smooth finish; feel free to leave it out, especially if you’re using the sauce with a particularly fatty piece of meat.