Chile

Serve as a side dish with enchiladas. The beans can be topped with grated Monterey Jack cheese, then covered to melt.

Texans like their barbecue spicy, in the tradition of the Southwest, which is chili pepper country. For this recipe, you'll need to order a U.S.D.A. "choice" grade, packer-trimmed brisket: That's a brisket with none of the fat cut off. Before being cooked, the meat is seasoned with a dry rub; during cooking, it is brushed regularly with a beer-based mop. You'll need to use a smoker for the brisket (a converted barbecue won’t maintain the very low heat required), and to get the most authentic Texas flavor, seek out the natural lump charcoal specified in the recipe; it's available at barbecue stores, some natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

Chef Lisa Ahier likes the flavor of Key limes or Mexican limes, which she can buy locally and year-round, for the marinade below. But even if you use regular lime juice, you'll love this chicken, which is as delicious at room temperature as it is hot. In fact, Gourmet's food editors couldn't get enough of it.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For a milder dish, use fewer Thai chiles and seed the serranos before mincing them. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

As in many Mexican recipe names, there is a playful personification at work here: The eggs are "separated" by their salsas—one is topped with fiery red, the other with jealous green.

(Braised Chicken with Chilies and Chinese Long Beans) The intoxicating seasoning paste in this Eurasian stew may be used to flavor chicken, beef, lamb, or seafood.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Called chakchouka, this specialty is perfect for brunch, lunch or even a quick supper.Traditionally, it is prepared with a slender, spicy beef or lamb merguez sausage, and a soft bread is used in place of a fork to "grab and eat".

Here's a new take on calabacitas, a traditional Mexican side dish with zucchini, onions and peppers.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Chile Verde Con Carne or "Caldillo")

Chicken gets a south-of-the-border treatment with a tomato-chipotle sauce infused with lime and garlic.