Tomato, Egg, and Cheese on a Nopal

Nopales, or cactus paddles, are a Mexican staple and is a common ingredient in numerous cuisines. Nopales are eaten raw or cooked. In the US, you can find a Mexican grocery store that most likely sells them, and are sometimes sold in American grocery stores. In Mexico, nopales are sold cleaned of spines and prepped for cooking.

Set the nopal on a cutting board. You will need a vegetable peeler or a knife. With the other hand, use gardening gloves or a towelBe super careful when cleaning nopales. You do not want to become a pin cushion! With a knife, cut along the edge and cut a thin rim around the edge of the paddle, removing the nodes on the edge. Be careful not to touch the thorns when you grab with your hand, which is why I suggest to use a towel or gloves. With a peeler or knife, lay the paddles flat and cut off the thorns. When you peel, it is okay if you include peeling some of the skin if necessary. When you are done, wipe the nopal with a paper towel. Do not wash the cactus unless you are about to use them or else the water will activate the slime.

In a large skillet, add oil and on medium high heat and wait for it to shimmer. Add two nopales flat onto the skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium then flip the nopales and add four slices tomato on the skillet (I like to use two slices for each nopal). After 2 minutes, sprinkle cheese on each nopal until it starts to melt. Place 2 slices of tomato on each nopal and remove from heat, and cover for 5 minutes until the cheese melts and while you make your eggs any style you want in a separate skillet. Place the eggs on each nopal, and enjoy!

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