Tacos de nopales

Method

1. 1 Remove all the thorns and spines from the cactus leaves, then rinse them thoroughly several times.
2. 2 Grill the whole leaves on a dry cast iron pan for 8 minutes on each side to remove the slime.
3. 3 Dry baking is a better way to remove the slime than boiling, as boiling only converts the slime into water.
4. 4 Cut the leaves into strips and sauté them with onions for 4 minutes until the cut surface is golden brown.
5. 5 Mix seeded tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and lemon juice to make a fresh sauce.
6. 6 Heat the tortillas, then layer them with cactus, fresh dressing, and crumbled fresh cheese.

With an appliance

• Oven 35 min

  Replace step 2: spray cactus leaf oil, place on the middle rack of the oven at 210 degrees for 12 minutes and flip after 6 minutes; the leaves will cook evenly, requiring less constant monitoring but without the thick smoke spots like a cast iron pan.