This is a very delicious way to prepare nopales, the addition of the tomato sauce creates a complete meal when served with rice and corn tortillas. In just one plate you have your protein, vegetables, and grains. And even though they have small piquin peppers, this is a mild stew. Of course, if you like to make it spicier, just add more peppers.
Nopales with ground beef in a piquin sauce
Nopales can be eaten raw in smoothies mixed with other fruits, but it is more common to eat them cooked. Prepared in a simple salad, adding tomato, onion, cilantro, oregano, and salt. Or added to stews made using dried peppers like ancho, guajillo or mulato. Combined with soups or dishes with chicken, pork or seafood. Another way to
cook nopales is grilling them over a charcoal grill or stove top on a griddle.
There are several processes to eliminate the viscosity formed in the cooking water. Some people add the skins of tomatillos, others add a pinch of baking soda, and even lime juice, these techniques do work up to a certain point, and also help to keep the color of the nopales slightly greener.
I hope you enjoy this stew, especially for those days when you don’t know what to cook for your family, but you always have that handy ground beef in the freezer.
How to make Nopales with ground beef
DIRECTIONS:
- Place tomatoes and peeled garlic cloves in a saucepan, and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until tomatoes are soft, about 8 minutes. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- While the tomatoes are cooking, roast piquin peppers over a medium heat. Use a griddle or frying pan for this purpose, making sure you do not burn the peppers. It will take about 30 seconds to roast them. If you are not used to roasting peppers, turn the exhaust fan on. Set the peppers aside to cool.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil, once it is hot, add the ground beef to cook. Stir occasionally to have an even cooking. After 5 minutes, stir in the chopped onion. Keep cooking.
- While the meat is cooking, place cooked tomatoes, garlic cloves, roasted piquin peppers, and 1 cup of the cooking water in your blender. Process until you have a smooth sauce.
- Pour sauce over the meat, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the nopales, and with your finger crush the dried oregano and stir in as well as the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Keep simmering for another 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, and the sauce has reduced a little.
Provecho!
Mely,
Other recipes using Nopales: Nopales with Chorizo, Nopales Salad, and Nopales Smoothie.
Nopales with ground beef
Ingredients
- 1 Lb tomato
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tablespoons piquin pepper*
- 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 Lb. ground beef
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 2 cups Nopales chopped and cooked. (About 1 ½ lb. raw)
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- Sal and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place tomatoes and peeled garlic cloves in a saucepan, and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until tomatoes are soft, about 8 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are cooking, roast piquin peppers over a medium heat. Use a griddle or frying pan for this purpose, making sure you do not burn the peppers. It will take about 30 seconds to roast them. If you are not used to roasting peppers, turn the exhaust fan on. Set the peppers aside to cool.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil, once it is hot, add the ground beef to cook. Stir occasionally to have an even cooking. After 5 minutes, stir in the chopped onion. Keep cooking.
- While the meat is cooking, place cooked tomatoes, garlic cloves, roasted piquin peppers, and 1 cup of the cooking water in your blender. Process until you have a smooth sauce.
- Pour sauce over the meat, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the nopales, and with your finger crush the dried oregano and stir in as well as the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Keep simmering for another 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, and the sauce has reduced a little.
Truman
This is great.
Erica
Delicious! Made this tonight, and my husband and I loved it. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Jason
This came out great! My wife is Mexican and has taught me to cook many different dishes. I wanted to surprise her by making this for dinner tonight. I've always wanted to try nopales as I see them often at the mexican grocery store that we frequent. She loves it! Thanks Mely!
mmartinez
Hello Jason,
That is great, thank you for coming back and sharing about your cooking.
Daniel
What region of Mexico would this dish be prepared in? Would you consider this to be a cultural dish or more contemporary. Can you post a link to both styles below?
mmartinez
Hello Daniel,
I learned to make this dish in the south of the State of Veracruz. But every region on the country has it own version of it.
Ara
Just made this today. It was delicious. I've never had this type if chilie before. Will become a favorite!
mmartinez
Hello Cely,
This NOpales with ground beef is spicy but delicious!
meev
I only find jarred nopales most of the time. Do you recommend? Do I drain and rinse first?
mmartinez
Hello Meev,
You can use those nopales, just rinse them before using. Enjoy!
Frances Lopez
Love all the good recipes
mmartinez
Thank you Frances,
I hope you enjoy cooking them.
Patricia V
How do you cook the nopales? Do you boil it or pan fry it?
mmartinez
Hello Patricia,
You precook the nopales according to the following recipe link: How to cook cactus paddles
Victoria
I would like to know if the nopales will become tender or remain hard if they are thrown in after the sauce?
Mely Martínez
Hello Victoria,
They will keep their shape and texture if you only cook them the time indicated in the recipe. If you leave them longer they will become tender.
Budhi Utama B
I can't find any nopahles in here. Any substitution for nopales?
mmartinez
Hello Budhi, to make a dish with a similar taste as nopales, use Okra. Can you find Okra where you live?
Anonymous
Is there a "print" link that I'm missing in your posts?
mmartinez
There is a Print widget right above the comments. It is a green printer icon. It says Print Friendly. It will take you to another window and you can select what part do you want to print.