Cactus Tacos
This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units). It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews. Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs fresh or 1 lb prepared cactus paddles (nopales), needles removed
3/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 to 2 medium serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
2 bunches cilantro, leaves only, chopped
1/2 cup finely grated Cotija, anejo, or Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
20 Corn Tortillas, toasted
Lettuce leaves, for garnish
Avocado slices, for garnish
Cracked black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat the grill or broiler. Place the cactus paddles in a bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and 1/2 tsp each of the salt and pepper. Grill or broil the paddles, turning once, until grill marks appear, or they turn dark green with black patches, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover and chill 2 hours, or overnight.
Cut the cactus into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large, combine the cactus, tomatoes, onion, chiles, cilantro, and cheese. Add the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, the vinegar, and the remaining 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Toss well.
To serve, stack 2 warmed tortillas for each taco. Top each with a lettuce leaf, some of the cactus salad mix, and a slice of avocado. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and serve.
Serves 10.
From Cooking With Two Hot Tamales by Milliken and Feniger.