What To Do With Nopales...

Before moving to Mexico City, I am not even sure I saw the cactus that I know was for sale at the local Mexican Grocery stores.  I think my eyes had a way of flowing over them, ignoring them as best I could, along with the other unidentifiable fruits and vegetables.  After all, then I was on a mission to find cheap vegetables for American recipes.

Things have of course changed since moving to Mexico.  Living here, one of my goals is to use the locally grown fruit and vegetables.  This aim is both due to my desire to eat as a native and that these are very, very cheap - as low as 20 cents a lb cheap.

During one of our trips to the market, Ismael came back with a bag of cactus.  I looked at him blankly and asked what I was suppose to do with them.  He simply replied that he would show me how to prepare it.

What he showed me is the recipe I would like to share with you today.

The Easiest Nopales Ever 
Nopales (as many as you like)
Salt
Non-stick Pan

First, you are going to need to clean the nopales.  Now unless you are living in Mexico, or you have a truly awesome Mexican Grocery store near you, your nopales are going to be covered in small, sharp thorns.  With a sharp, medium-sized knife carefully scrap down against the nopales' flesh, removing the thorns.  You also need to cut the around the outer rim of the nopales to remove the thorns there are well.  As the thorns are very sharp, I recommend using a plastic or rubber glove, if you have one.  Otherwise, some folded paper towels may help you out.  Thankfully, this is the hardest part.

When you are done, your nopales should look something like this.

Now, using your knife, you need to make 3 or 4 cuts into each nopal, going about 3/4 of the way down. Spread a little salt into the cuts and over the nopales for flavor.

Place your nopales on a preheated non-stick skillet or a comal.

 After a few minutes, flip them over and cook both sides until they look like the ones below.

After cooking, the nopales still retain a firm texture and a bit of crunch.  Their flavor is slightly acidic, but overall mild, not too different from tart green beans.  While the flesh that touched the comal is dry, the cut areas can be a bit sticky - similar to okra.

My favorite way to enjoy this type of nopal is in a warm corn tortilla with meat, lime, and salsa, but you can also have it as a side dish or even as a hamburger topping.

I hope you have a chance to enjoy this easy and traditional dish.

- Kim