Huaraches de Nopal

wednesday night american indian wednesday nights in america southwestern mexican dinner lunch grill bean cabbage tree nut free vegetarian wheat/gluten-free peanut free

Luz Calvo and Catriona Rueda Esquibel

Makes 8 huaraches

Source

Ingredients

8 medium nopal paddles, cleaned and spines removed

1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

4 cups (1 L) cooked Black Velvet Beans

4 cups (1 L) Red Cabbage Slaw or shredded lettuce

Homemade or store-bought chipotle salsa, to taste

6 oz (175 g) crumbled queso fresco

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a boil on high heat and add nopales. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove and rinse under cool water. Pat dry. Lightly score and smear coconut oil on each side of nopal. On a dry griddle on high heat, cook nopales in batches (don’t overcrowd in pan). Cook each side for about 3–5 minutes or until nopales begin to blister slightly. Set aside.

In a frying pan on medium heat, mash beans and cook until consistency of a loose paste, about 5 minutes.

Place nopales on a serving platter. Spread a layer of beans on each and serve topped with slaw or lettuce, salsa, and cheese.

Use a gas grill or outdoor barbecue to cook whole raw nopal paddles: Rub paddles with oil to prevent sticking; scoring is not necessary. Grill nopal paddles about 7 minutes per side on medium high heat.