In the ever-expanding universe of guisado tacos, there’s almost always an offering of homey nopales. The citrusy, tender-crunchy cactus can be simple with caramelized onion (great served with black beans!), or rich with guajillo chile and tomatoes, or smoky with the flavor of the grill, or made super-special with mole and greens. No matter what the preparation, they are always deeply rooted in Mexican heritage. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen nopales on an international stage. Which is too bad, since they have so much to offer!
INGREDIENTS
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, , seeded and torn into flat pieces
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 of a 15-ounce can diced tomato (preferably fire-roasted), undrained
- 1 pound (4 to 6 medium) nopal cactus paddles
- 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- Salt
- A little sugar, if necessary
- 10 to 12 warm corn tortillas,
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese such as feta or goat cheese
- A big handful cilantro leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the guajillo chile base. Heat a large (10-inch) skillet over medium. Toast the chiles by using a metal spatula to press them against the hot surface for a few seconds, until very aromatic, then flipping and pressing the other side. Roast the unpeeled garlic, turning from time to time, until soft and blotchy-black in spots, about 15 minutes. Cool and peel off the papery skin. Break the chiles into smaller pieces and combine in a blender jar with the garlic and the undrained ½ can of tomatoes. Blend until smooth—this will take a minute or so because of the tough chile skins.
Clean the nopal cactus. Holding a paddle with a pair of tongs or a gloved hand, trim off the edge that outlines the paddle, including the blunt end where the paddle was severed from the plant. Slice or scrape off the spiny nodes from both sides of the paddle. When all paddles are cleaned, cut them into squares that are a little larger than ½ inch.
Finish the dish. In a large (4-quart) saucepan, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until richly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cactus, cover the pan and cook 5 minutes for the nopales to release their sticky juices. Uncover, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until all of the sticky stuff has evaporated and you hear the cactus sizzling in the oil, a few minutes more. Immediately, set a medium-mesh strainer over the pan, pour in the chile mixture and press it through. Stir everything together and let it cook until the chile mixture has thickened to the consistency of tomato paste. Stir in ½ cup water, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the vegetables–not runny at all. Taste and season with salt (usually about 1 teaspoon table salt) and a little sugar if necessary to balance the chile’s natural astringency.
Serve. I like to set out the mixture with warm tortillas for everyone to make tacos, garnishing them with fresh cheese and cilantro.
