Tacos de Nopales con Huevo
Desayuno & Almuerzo – The Morning Bridge
A jar of supermarket nopales, a hot cast-iron skillet, and whatever eggs sit in the carton. After a cold-water rinse, the smell of white onion and serrano blistering in a pan anchors the morning. Blistering the cactus in a hot, dry pan evaporates the mucilage and concentrates its tart flavor. The eggs hiss, the tortillas soften, and the jar goes back in the fridge, leaving the tart snap of the cactus against a smear of refried beans.
Before you start
Buy pre-cleaned nopales to save time.
Fresh cactus paddles can be found whole with thorns, but most well-stocked Mexican grocers sell them pre-cleaned and diced in bags. Grab those for a fast weeknight meal. If buying whole, lay the paddle flat and scrape a knife against the grain to shave off the thorns.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil or pork lard1 tbsp
- white onion1/4 med
- serrano chiles2 small
- Roma tomato1 large
- fresh nopales1 1/2 cup
- eggs4 large
- fine sea salt1/4 tsp
- corn tortillas8 small
- refried beans1 cup
- queso fresco1/2 cup
- salsa1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Blister the nopales in a dry skillet to remove the mucilage.
Place a medium cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced nopales and a pinch of salt to the dry pan. Let them cook in their own juices until the sticky liquid completely evaporates and the pan is dry, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the nopales to a bowl and wipe the pan clean.
- 02
Sauté the aromatics to build the classic a la mexicana base.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add the oil or lard. Once shimmering, add the onion and serrano, cooking until translucent and fragrant. Toss in the Roma tomato and cook for another two minutes until it begins to break down and release its juices.
- 03
Return the nopales to the pan and vigorously whisk the eggs.
Toss the cooked nopales back into the skillet so they absorb the aromatics. In a small bowl, aggressively whisk the eggs with the salt until no streaks of white remain, then pour them into the pan.
- 04
Soft scramble the eggs into large, fluffy curds.
Lower the heat slightly. Let the eggs set at the edges for a moment, then gently fold them from the outside in. As soon as the eggs are just set but still slightly glistening, remove from the heat so they don't dry out.
- 05
Assemble the tacos on charred corn tortillas.
Heat the tortillas on a hot, dry comal or cast-iron griddle until pliable. Smear with warm refried beans, heap with the eggs and nopales, and finish with crumbled queso fresco and a spoonful of salsa.
Notes
A pantry shortcut works if you rinse well.
If fresh cactus isn't available, substitute one and a half cups of jarred nopales. Skip the dry-roasting step, but empty them into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse vigorously under cold water for at least a minute to strip away the canning brine.
Never microwave the tortillas.
Warm them on a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame. A microwaved tortilla will tear instantly under the weight of the heavy eggs.
From Cook Mexican in America.