The only time you’ll ever hear my mother complain about her electric range is when she wants to roast some Anaheim chiles. Of course you can put them in a broiler, but according to mom, it’s just not the same. She can never get the chiles close enough to the broiler burner, so that they don’t burn but they do get charred. The secret to roasting a chile pepper is to char or blister the skin completely, so it’s easy to peel off. Mom also notes that the flavor is different when you cook the peppers in a broiler. Cooking directly over the flame chars the peel faster and doesn’t overcook the chile. Here are the steps, as mom taught me.

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