Place the whole fresh peppers over a high gas flame and turn the peppers as needed to blister the skin on all sides. Don’t allow the flame to burn too long in one place or you’ll burn through the pepper. After most of the skin has been well blistered, wrap the warm pepper in a wet paper towel, place it inside a plastic bag, and set it aside to steam gently for 10 to 15 minutes.

When you remove the towel, most of the skin should come off easily. Scrape off the rest of the skin with a butter knife. If you are making chile rellenos, remove the seeds carefully and try to keep the pepper intact (it’s not easy). Otherwise, cut the pepper into strips or chop it up, depending on the recipe.

If you don’t have a gas range, put the pepper in a skillet with a little vegetable oil and blister it over high heat on the electric burner. Proceed as directed.