In this online class, Rick Martínez will show you how to prepare and cook stuffed chiles so they hold together and cook evenly.

You’ll see three approaches to the chiles:

• The classic battered and fried pobl…

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These chiles anchos rellenos sit somewhere between a classic chile relleno and something a little more unexpected. Instead of using fresh poblanos, you’re working with dried chiles anchos, which are softened in a simple orange juice marinade that brings them back to life while adding a little sweetness and depth.

The filling is straightforward—slices of queso panela, queso ranchero or paneer—something that will hold its shape but still melt just enough. The chiles are lightly dredged, coated in a whipped egg batter and fried until golden, giving you that familiar light, airy crust.

The salsa is built from roasted tomatoes and jalapeños blended with onion, garlic and lime. It’s bright, a little smoky, and cuts through the richness of the fried chiles and cheese.

This dish is a good reminder that chile rellenos don’t have to follow one format. You can work with what you have—different chiles, different cheeses—and still land on something that feels both traditional and new at the same time.

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This is a classic chile relleno—the version most people think of when they picture the dish. Roasted poblanos are peeled, stuffed with cheese, coated in a light egg batter and fried until golden, then served with a simple tomato-based salsa.

The chiles are charred just enough to soften and bring out their flavor while still holding their shape. After a quick steam, the skins slip off easily, and the chiles are ready to be filled. The cheese should be something that melts but still has structure—queso Chihuahua, Oaxaca or Monterey Jack all work well.

The batter is what gives chile rellenos their signature texture. Whipped egg whites are folded with yolks to create a light coating that puffs and sets quickly in hot oil. The result is crisp on the outside, soft on the inside.

The salsa is straightforward: tomatoes, dried chiles, onion and garlic, simmered and blended until smooth. It’s bright, lightly spiced and balances the richness of the fried chiles and cheese.

One thing that makes a big difference here is how you handle the chiles before roasting. Keep the poblanos in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours so they’re completely cold, then roast them over very high heat—on the stove, grill or under the broiler. Starting with cold chiles helps them keep their structure so they don’t collapse or get too soft. If you roast them at room temperature, they’re much more likely to tear when you peel them or fall apart when you fry them.

Like most traditional dishes, there’s room to adjust. You can change the cheese, adjust the heat in the salsa or serve it a little looser or thicker depending on how you like it. But at its core, this is a simple, direct version of chile rellenos—nothing extra, just the elements working the way they should.

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Cooking live from his ki…

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Quesabirria is one of the best things to do with leftover birria. The tortillas get lightly coated in consomé, which gives them color and flavor as they crisp. The cheese melts into the meat, the tortilla turns golden and crunchy, and every bite gets dipped back into the broth. It’s rich, savory, and meant to be eaten hot, straight from the pan.

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Leftover birria consomé is too good not to make this recipe. Ramen noodles soak up the broth beautifully, and the richness of the birria turns a simple bowl of noodles into something deeply comforting and satisfying. The flavors stay rooted in birria, but small additions like miso, pickled ginger and chiles, and marinated eggs push it into new territory without overwhelming it.

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This birria recipe is based on the way it’s commonly prepared in Jalisco, the birthplace of the dish. From cooking and eating my way around the state, this is the flavor profile I’ve encountered most often. That said, there are thousands of variations, shaped by each cook and their sazón. Some versions are light and restrained, with almost clear consomés. Others are much more chile- and spice-forward.

This recipe is meant to be a guide, not gospel. Every cook makes birria the way they like it, and there is no single right way to do it. You can change the protein depending on what you prefer or what’s available. Beef works beautifully, but chicken, pork, goat, or lamb are all perfect. You can even make a seafood version, but the technique needs to shift. Fish and shellfish cook very quickly, so you want to make the consomé first, then gently poach the seafood in the finished broth at the end. Fish usually needs about five minutes. Shrimp needs closer to a minute, or you can simply drop it in off the heat and let it gently cook through.

The structure of this recipe is about building flavor in layers. First you toast the dried chiles. Then you char the vegetables. The meat is browned, the spices are briefly fried, and everything comes together with water to form the broth. You can cook this on the stovetop, but I prefer a low oven. The heat is more even and it’s lower maintenance, You put it in the oven, walk away, and a few hours later you’re rewarded with tender, falling-apart meat and a deeply flavored consomé.

This recipe makes a generous amount of birria and broth, which is part of why I love it. It’s a perfect example of Mexican meal prep. Make it once, and you can eat it all week in different ways. Birria grilled cheese, birria quesadillas, birria ramen, birria mac and cheese. I hope you use this recipe as a starting point and make it your own.

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There are some dishes in Mexican cuisine that make the most sense when someone is standing next to you, talking you through it as you go. That’s how I learned to make moles. That’s how I learned to make tamales Oaxaqueños. I had people guiding me, showing me what to look for, and answering questions in the moment, while everything was happening.

Things like charring banana leaves so they soften without tearing. Shaping and sealing tetelas so the masa holds together and cooks evenly. Building a mole negro with incinerated chiles that release all their bitterness and taste like chiles.

That experience is what I wanted to pass on, and that’s why I started Rick’s Cooking School.

I am teaching livestream classes, about an hour to an hour and a half in length, where I cook with you in real time and walk you through every step. We cook together, we talk through the details, and you can ask questions as you think of them.

There’s a new class every month and every class is recorded. The full video and recipes live here on Substack, so you can come back to them whenever you want.

Paid subscribers already have access as part of their subscription.

All other subscribers get 20% off every class.

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Past Classes:

• Jalisco Style Birria

• Perfect Chiles Rellenos