Ahh, nopales. Growing through fences and in vacant lots around Southern California and much of the Southwest, prevalent in landscaping even in places like Brooklyn, New York, the noble nopal (or prickly pear cactus in English), is a brilliant plant. With numerous different strains and cultivars that thrive in various climates, this hardy perennial cactus produces edible green pads and delicious red fruits.

While the tradition of eating the pads seems less common among non-Mexican or non-Chicano peoples than that of eating only las tunas, the fruits, I'm here to tell you that if you've never tried fresh nopales you're missing out. While I'm no scientist and I lack some regard for most nutritional science and health fads as a whole, there are some sources[1] that claim that the pads of the prickly pear cactus are antiviral and can regulate blood sugar as well as possessing of a host of other beneficial characteristics. Whatever the so-called health experts claim, nuestra familia swear by them because they're delicious and one feels good when one eats them. What I do know is that they propagate easily and from the free cut pads we got from a local motel owner we've produced dozens of pounds of young pads over the years while still leaving dozens more pounds on the cacti so they can grow more each year – making them a really very sustainable vegetable (are they technically a vegetable? I'm not sure!).

And so, while I could quite possibly write a whole article about this wonderful friend, for today what I have for you is an original recipe for beer battered nopales tacos that will have you falling in love with nopales as deeply as we have.

But first, a few notes on ingredients:

• Try to find really fresh nopales. Best if this is something you can forage or grow yourself, but if you do purchase them from the supermarket make sure the pads are firm and not wrinkled, and they should have a slight citrusy smell.
• Many people blanch the nopales before using them, claiming that it reduces what they call "slime". This is one of those culinary things I will vehemently disagree with until the day I die. Blanching the nopales ruins its flavor profile and reduces the beneficial nutrients you'll obtain from eating them. I recommend, if you're concerned about "slime", wrapping your cleaned nopales in a clean dish towel in the fridge for about a day before cooking. They'll dry a little bit in the fridge without losing much flavor.
• Real ancho chile powder is going to be better than your run-of-the-mill store-bought chile powder blend, as it has a kind of dark smoky flavor that typical chile blends don't. If you can't find it, see if you have a local carniceria or Mexican grocery that might sell dried guajillo or ancho chiles. You can remove the seeds of these and blend them to make your own powder.
• This would probably go really well with some chipotle in adobo but I don't buy canned goods so haven't tried it -- if you try adding those let us know!
• It's not very common for Mexicans to eat "hard shell" tacos like the nonsense you find in grocery store aisles labeled "taco night kit" and such. We leave ours soft. You could adapt this to be a burrito and after you fill the burrito, set the seam in the hot oil for about two minutes to let it seal and brown and give the burrito a good crisp. However, when we make tacos our homemade tortillas are still warm when we fill them and no further steps are needed.

Beer Battered Nopales Tacos

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Servings: approximately 20 street-sized tacos

Ingredients

For the Batter:

• All purpose flour: 1 c
• Egg: 1
• Mexican beer or pale ale: 1 c plus a little extra as needed to thin batter
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Ancho chile powder: 1 tsp

For the Dry Toss:

• All purpose flour: 1/2 c
• Salt & Pepper: to taste

For the Tacos:

• Tortillas: Homemade are best. Between 12-20 store bought taco sized tortillas, depending on size.
• Bell pepper: 1, yellow or orange, sliced
• Sweet onion: 1, julienned
• Nopales: About two large or three smaller pads fresh, cleaned and sliced into approximately 2 in strips
• Squash blossoms (optional): 3-4, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Smoked paprika and cumin to taste
• Lard or other oil for frying
• Avocado, cilantro, diced tomato, sliced radish, lime, and salsa as desired for serving

Instructions

1. Mix the batter and dry rub, set aside.
2. Heat a large frying pan or cast iron skillet with a liberal amount of cooking oil until water sizzles when flicked into it.
3. While the pan is heating, chop all of the vegetables, including desired toppings.
4. Heat another skillet on medium heat and add a dollop of lard or a tablespoon or so of your desired cooking oil. Add your peppers and onions once the oil breaks down a bit, and add smoked paprika, cumin, and salt to taste. Sautee until sweet and onions are translucent and soft, and then add squash blossoms at the very end right before you turn off the heat. Toss together.
5. Meanwhile, or after the vegetable mix is done and your frying skillet is hot enough, dip the nopal strips first in the dry toss and then in the batter, ensuring liberal coating and taking care to not let the batter slough off the sides of the stips. Add to pan immediately (I recommend setting up so your bowl of toss and batter can be right next to the stove).
6. Cook until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Ensure space between each strip so they have room to brown. Don't be afraid to fry in batches if space is limited.
7. Assemble your tacos with the beer battered nopales, the sauteed veggie mix, and your desired toppings. Give a generous squeeze of lime and a shake of salt if you need more. You can serve with rice and beans if desired or eat these a la carte -- they're plenty filling.