Nopales Asados Jalisciences

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large cast iron comal or heavy grill pan
• •Volcanic stone molcajete
• •Sharp paring knife for cleaning cactus paddles
• •Tongs
• •Tlaquepaque glazed clay platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the nopales

   Lay each cactus paddle flat on a cutting board. Scrape away any remaining spines with the back of a knife, then trim the dry edge all around. Rinse quickly and pat very dry. Do not soak them. Nopales already carry enough moisture inside.

2. 2

   Score the paddles

   Cut shallow diagonal lines across each nopal without slicing through it. Turn and cut the other direction to make a light crosshatch. This helps the heat enter evenly and lets the slime cook off faster. The paddle should stay whole because it belongs on the comal, not chopped into a salad yet.

   If the nopales are thick and old, they will be tougher and more sour. Buy small to medium paddles, bright green and firm. Preguntale a las señoras del mercado.
3. 3

   Tatemar the salsa

   Heat a dry comal over medium. Toast the chile de arbol for 10 to 15 seconds, just until fragrant and a shade darker. Remove them before they blacken. Put the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic on the same comal and turn until the tomato skins blister and the garlic softens. This is tatemado, the Jalisco table flavor: char, chile, salt, nothing timid.

4. 4

   Grind the salsa

   Peel the garlic. Grind the toasted chile de arbol, garlic, tomatoes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a molcajete until rough and spoonable. A blender works if that is what you have, but pulse it. Do not make baby food. The salsa should have texture, with little red flecks of chile and blackened tomato skin.

5. 5

   Heat the comal

   Raise the comal or grill to medium-high. Rub it with a thin film of melted manteca de cerdo. Not a puddle. Just enough to season the surface and help the first contact brown. La manteca es el sabor, but the cactus is still the point.

6. 6

   Grill the nopales

   Lay the nopales on the hot comal in one layer. Cook 4 to 6 minutes per side, pressing lightly with tongs so the surface meets the heat. They are ready when they turn from bright green to deeper olive green, the cut lines darken, and the edges soften but still hold their shape. Some sticky liquid will bead out and dry on the surface. That is correct. Keep cooking until the paddle is tender, not wet.

7. 7

   Dress while warm

   Move the nopales to a Tlaquepaque glazed clay platter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt, lime juice, sliced white onion, and cilantro. Spoon a little chile de arbol salsa over the top or serve it on the side. Taste one corner. It should be smoky, tart, salty, and clean. Not all Mexican food needs to shout with chile. This one needs balance.

8. 8

   Serve with tortillas

   Serve the nopales warm or at room temperature with lime wedges, more salsa, and warm corn tortillas. At a Jalisco carne asada, these sit beside the meat quietly and disappear first. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.

Chef Tips

• •Buy nopales that are bright green, firm, and not larger than your hand if you can. Big paddles are older. They can be used, but they need more time on the comal and they will never be as tender.
• •Do not boil nopales for this dish. Boiling is for ensalada de nopales when you want pieces. For nopales asados, the comal dries the surface and concentrates the cactus flavor. No me vengas con atajos.
• •If you cannot find Yahualica chile de arbol, use the best dried chile de arbol you can find from a Mexican market. That is a compromise, not an upgrade. What you lose is the clean, direct heat and fruitiness of the Jalisco chile.
• •The slime is not a defect. It is part of the cactus. The job of the hot comal is to drive off enough moisture so the paddle becomes tender and lightly charred instead of wet.
• •Serve these with corn tortillas. Flour tortillas are a northern tradition and they have their place. This is a Jalisco comal dish.

Advance Preparation

• •The nopales can be cleaned and trimmed up to one day ahead. Wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate. Do not salt them until cooking.
• •The chile de arbol salsa can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before serving so the chile flavor opens back up.
• •Grilled nopales hold well at room temperature for two hours, which is why they belong at a cookout table. Dress with lime and onion just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 245g)