Nopales a la Mexicana
If you have never cooked cactus before, Nopales a la Mexicana is a mighty fine place to start. This colorful recipe combines tender cactus with onion, roasted poblano pepper, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, and one of my favorite ingredients - Mexican oregano.
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What are Nopales?
Nopales are the edible pads of the prickly pear cactus. They have a fresh, slightly tangy flavor that some folks compare to green bell pepper, asparagus, or okra. To me, it's more like okra.
How to Prepare Nopales For Cooking
Before cooking, carefully trim the edges and scrape both sides of the cactus pads to remove every spine and rough bump. Rinse them well, cut them into about 1-inch pieces, and boil them for about 10 minutes.
After boiling, drain the cactus and place it in ice water. This helps stop the cooking process and cuts down on the sticky texture cactus can have. Drain it again and spread the pieces on a paper towel.
Nopales a la Mexicana
Heat a little bacon grease in a cast-iron skillet and add the white onion. Let it cook until it begins to soften. Season it with cumin, crumbled Mexican oregano, and a little salt. Add the garlic and chopped roasted poblano pepper, then reduce the heat so you do not burn that garlic.
Tip: Reduce heat when adding garlic to the skillet, so you don't burn it.
Once everything begins smelling good, add the chopped nopales and cherry tomatoes. Let the mixture cook until the tomatoes soften and pick up a little char. The tanginess of the cactus works well with the acidity of the tomatoes, the mild heat of the poblano, and the earthy flavor of the cumin and oregano.
You can serve Nopales a la Mexicana hot right out of the skillet, but it is also good chilled and served as a cactus salad. Add it to tacos, serve it beside grilled meat, or put a helping next to a fried egg for breakfast.
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