I’VE NEVER HAD SO many responses to an Instagram story as I did after recently sharing a chile relleno burrito from La Cocina, tucked inside El Paisano Market, in Rio Rancho. I sliced the hefty burrito in half to reveal rice, beans, and a battered chile relleno nucleus oozing molten Jack cheese across my plate. (Snaps of the mole tacos and menudo drew plenty of love too.) Beyond La Cocina, the mercado, owned by Adam Padilla—whose in-laws own El Paisano Supermarkets in Santa Fe and Española—packs in a full carnicería; fresh produce; house-made tortillas, tamales, and salsas; and its signature El Jerky Loco jerky products. Come for lunch, leave with tomorrow’s groceries—and perhaps a piñata you didn’t know you needed.
What to Eat This Month: La Cocina
Inside Rio Rancho's El Paisano Market, La Cocina fills a hefty burrito with rice, beans, and a batterd chile relleno oozing Jack cheese.
Photograph by Candolin Cook.