Technique Of Preparing Nopales Recipes

SAUTEED NOPALES

Steps:

• If cactus paddles still have thorns, grasp with a gloved hand or pair of tongs and shave with a sharp knife (be sure to peel just the thorns). Rinse under cold water.
• To cut nopales, hold paddle in your hand and shave off 2-inch-long slivers with a knife, turning paddle every few cuts so that pieces remain uniform.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add nopales and half of the chopped onions. Boil briskly for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse in 2 changes of cold water.
• In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook remaining onion with the garlic in the oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add nopales, tomatoes, and chiles, season with salt, and cook for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in cilantro and remove from heat. Serve hot or at room temperature.

GRILLED NOPALES EN CHILE ROJO

Steps:

• Most markets sell nopales already despined and cleaned. If the paddles still have their spines, remove them: Hold a paddle by its stem and run a sharp knife along the skin, moving it away from you to scrape off spines. Then flip it over and repeat. Trim off the outer edges to remove any small spines, then cut off the stem. Repeat with all of the paddles. Rinse off the nopales, checking for any remaining spines and removing them. Pat dry. If cooking outdoors, prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high.
• Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the chiles, tomatoes, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cover partially, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chiles have rehydrated and the garlic and tomatoes have softened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While the chile mixture is simmering, grill the nopales. If cooking outdoors, place the nopales on the hot grate and grill, turning once, until pliable and slightly charred, about 10 minutes. If cooking indoors on a gas stove, turn the burners to medium-high heat and cook the nopales directly over the flame on the stove grates. Using heat-proof tongs and working in batches, place the nopales on the grates and move them around the flames until slightly charred, flipping once so they cook evenly, about 10 minutes. If using an electric stove, heat a comal or large pan over medium-high heat and lightly coat it with oil if you like. Cook, turning once, until evenly charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool.
• While the nopales cool, use a slotted spoon to transfer the rehydrated chiles, softened garlic and tomatoes to a blender or food processor with the cumin and 1 cup of the cooking water. Blend until completely smooth.
• Slice the cooled nopales into 1/4-inch-wide strips that are 2 to 3 inches long. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil, then add the sliced nopales and a couple pinches of salt. Stir every now and then until the nopales are tender, have released their slime and that slime has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the chile mixture. Mix well, then simmer until the sauce has slightly thickened and the flavors have married, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed (remembering that you're garnishing with salt before serving).
• While the nopales are simmering in the sauce, heat the tortillas on the grill or on the stove grates' open flames until softened and lightly charred, about 1 minute per side. Stack and wrap them in a dish towel to keep them warm.
• Remove the nopales from the heat and top with the toasted pepitas, cilantro leaves and flaky sal de colima. Serve with the charred tortillas.

TECHNIQUE OF PREPARING NOPALES

Steps:

• Lay the nopal paddle on a flat surface. With a sharp knife, trim the base of the paddle.
• Trim around the outside edge of the paddle with the tip of the knife.
• Carefully slice the thorny nods from the trimmed nopal paddle.
• Clean nopal cactus paddle in water.
• Cut the cleaned cactus paddle into 1/2-inch slices, widthwise, or diagonally across the paddle.