Rick Bayless How to Prepare Nopal Cactus

Рет қаралды 86,339

2 жыл бұрын

This is perhaps the one ingredient I get asked about more than any other, so here's how to use this often-perplexing ingredient.
One by one, clean the cactus paddles: Holding a paddle with a pair of tongs, trim off the edge that outlines the paddle, including the blunt end where the paddle was severed from the plant, then slice or scrape off the spiny nodes from both sides. Cut the paddles into ½-inch squares or into ¼-inch strips (if any are longer than about 2 ½ inches, cut them in half). Scoop the cactus into a medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan and add a little oil, a good sprinkling of salt and some sliced onion. (For a pound of paddles, you’ll need about 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt and a small sliced onion.) Cover and set over medium heat and cook, stirring once or twice for about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue to cook, stirring regularly until all of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is just beginning to sizzle in the oil, about 5 minutes more. Spread onto a large plate to cool.
🌵 WHERE TO USE NOPALES 🌵
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Пікірлер: 142

@janzebuski3559 2 жыл бұрын

In the late 70s I lived in the foothills around Tucson. When my younger sister came out to visit from CT, I got the idea that we should try making prickly pear jelly since I was surrounded by the cactus, they were full with fruit and I had just read a recipe for it in the newspaper. Well!!! That is a story she still tells to this day because it's not the large thorns you have to be careful of, it's the very, very small hairlike thorns that will get you and stay with you!!! Learned the hard way!😄😄

@s.r.9320 2 жыл бұрын

Oh, dear, me too. I made the mistake of washing the kitchen towels I used in the processing and cleaning the prickly pear, in with my sheets!

@RobbieBolog 2 жыл бұрын

Really enjoying this new series. I feel like a lot of Americans (myself included) tend to avoid specialty ethnic stores because it's intimidating & confusing. You are totally demystifying it. Thank you!

@imthedrivingcrooner 2 жыл бұрын

try nopales sometime. dont get weirded out by the texture. but it is tasty.

@aintyourfriend5734 2 жыл бұрын

Robbie, most Americans are introduced to other cultures food through mockery and insults.

@RobbieBolog 2 жыл бұрын

Not much different for American food abroad. We are the most obese nation in the world...

@bambam6704 2 жыл бұрын

Mexicans are American.

@Lana-or5dz 2 жыл бұрын

I feel the same in pre-dominant … feeling is mutual .. I’m Mexican.

@prisillaspace 2 жыл бұрын

Que sabroso! My abuela used to cut these and cut of spines with a knife….she would cook them and add with scrambled eggs and also serve with fideo. Fideo!!! Food of the gods!!!

@marthavillegas6250 2 жыл бұрын

I love nopales and tunas, they are part of my heritage, thanks Rick for this video. 🌵

@earthquakesville7540 2 жыл бұрын

There's a TikTok channel completely devoted to preparing the cactus paddles and "cleaning" them. I can watch for several minutes, but it's nice to see it with Chef Rick's instruction.

@gusgarza6529 2 жыл бұрын

I buy the ones already cut up. I boil them for 3-4 minutes in water, drain & mix with egg n onion. They taste delicious.

@charleyu5506 2 жыл бұрын

for some reason nopal goes really well with eggs

@reneemoreno8030 2 жыл бұрын

My grandmother would use a knife and like a peeler scrape off the thorns. Then boil them and then cut them and cook them with onions and eggs. Sometimes with onions and tomatoes and potatoes. Ty Rick...been watching you since you did shows with Arlene, I believe her name was, when you first were in Mexico. Muchas Gracias por todo senor.

@dash182804 2 жыл бұрын

If you have never had nopales you are missing out. Well cooked nopales are one of the best and healthies dishes you can have. They go with just about anything.

@jamesrobinson3663 2 жыл бұрын

I love nopales with scrambled eggs. I first pan fry the nopales until just starting to lightly brown, then add the scrambled eggs and cook as usual.

@priscillachen8084 8 ай бұрын

Hello chef Baylee’s I never knew that cactus could be so delicious . Am from the Caribbean and we use cactus for back pain, we clean it and soak it in coconut water and you woke up brand new the next day . Also I use for as my hair treatment for hair growth.

@nicklizardo313 2 жыл бұрын

Thank u Chef, glad to see them featured I use newspapers underneath as I take spears off, then simply throw them away. Give a good rinse, chop and boil. I boil with onions ( to pull babas) then discard.2 cloves of garlic and sprinkle bit of dry oregano. I let boil for 20 minutes. Recipe from Dad who was from Zacatecas.

@saraalbert3403 2 жыл бұрын

Gracias chef. One of my favorite foods. I have three nopaleras in my backyard. Love them!!!

@mariae.ramirez4582 2 жыл бұрын

Hola Chef Bayless, Nopales son mis Favoritos especialmente en mi receta favorita Pollo a la Mexicana, en el Area donde vivo no hay tiendas con buenos Nopales por eso decidimos plantarlos en el patio de atras de mi casa y yo los corto los limpio y los preparo de mil maneras diferentes

@1EQUALS-INFINITY 2 жыл бұрын

I was in Patzcuaro just 2 weeks ago and tried it with raw nopales. It was amazing. I've made it twice since then and I love it even better than cooked.

@la1163 2 жыл бұрын

Aww the way you said baba

@jessphiliprodriquez7381 2 жыл бұрын

I never cared for nopales, my mom loved em. That changed though years ago. My mom and I went to the local swap meet. A lady was selling tacos. I decided to buy a nopales taco w/chile Colorado. It was very good. I liked it ever sense! Like that old saying, Don't knock it, until you try it.

@L.Spencer 2 жыл бұрын

I've tried them and I didn't Iike them. But they are healthy, so it's great if people like them. I must say once I had them in a type of guac and they weren't so bad.

@ladybird131 2 ай бұрын

I pick one up not realizing the needles were very tiny. That was fun

@Caramelgreeneyes 2 жыл бұрын

You can also grill them, I like them better than “Al vapor”. What you need to do is cut them in strips but without separating them, that is don’t cut until the narrow part, then season it with a little salt on both sides and use a comal to cook them, or the grill. You can also grill some panela cheese to go with the nopal. It’s really good and healthy. You can use fork and knife to eat it or just grab a tortilla, add some salsa and give a big bite… 😆😋🤤🤤

@LiliaW2002 2 ай бұрын

Your recipes never disappoint Rick Bayless- when I’m looking to find a good Mexican recipie I always start with you- and usually end with you. ❤

@jeffniemeyer1414 2 жыл бұрын

Best series on KZfaq right now. Keep it going, Rick!

@easein 2 жыл бұрын

Yes please! More Mexican Grocery Store techniques!!!!!

@manuelmaria9153 2 жыл бұрын

Hola Chef Rick...my husband and I love nopales, especially when I make tortitas de camaron, yummy!

@chilepeulla 2 жыл бұрын

I love Rick but the cleaning step of the nopales looked a little sloppy to me, I would have definitely rinsed the nopales and the cutting board before cutting them into strips, any of those thorns making it into the final dish would be really unfortunate

@L.Spencer 2 жыл бұрын

I was thinking that too.

@SR-rc4on 2 жыл бұрын

Orale chef, I’ve never gotten down w/ nopales. Lol…a family member used to scramble nopales w/ onion, tomatoes, and eggs. Man I couldn’t stand that! Lol…tasted like slimey green beans to me! 😂

@f0rmaggi0 2 жыл бұрын

Finally. I always wanted to know how to this. Thanks! I’ve been making your cochinita pibil recipe for 15 years now. Always a hit.

@brittonparnell2168 2 жыл бұрын

Love them in breakfast tacos scrambled with eggs, and you’re right about the pork stew. A local restaurant serves Guisado de Puerco con Nopales which is to die for.

@dwaynewladyka577 2 жыл бұрын

I have never had nopales before, or the prickly pear fruit, that comes from these plants. I'd like to try it one day. Cheers, Rick!

@vickycamarena4697 2 жыл бұрын

They sell them pickled in jars , in Mexican grocers and many other grocery stores. So good to eat as a salad with tomatoes and onions. Just rinse them good and remove the onions and cilantro that was packed with them and add the tomato and onions eat on a tostada, YUM!

@dwaynewladyka577 2 жыл бұрын

@@vickycamarena4697 Thanks! I have neighbours who are from Mexico. I've also seen a Latin American food store in Edmonton, Alberta, where I live. I'll see if they have them. I think we have other Latin American grocery stores too. They may have them. Cheers!

@toddstropicals 2 жыл бұрын

Try them if you can they're really good!

@dwaynewladyka577 2 жыл бұрын

@@toddstropicals I'd like to. Cheers! ✌️

@billyeveryteen7328 2 жыл бұрын

The fruit (in Mexican Spanish called the "tuna") is very good. It's sort of but not quite like a citrusy watermelon. Those you should definitely buy de-quilled instead of trying to do it yourself.

@toddstropicals 2 жыл бұрын

They're so good, we put them in everything from breakfast tacos to soups, even breaded and deep fried they're good.

@marthadeleon1347 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for showing how you cook them. I add chopped garlic to the onion and add cilantro to steam along with the nopales. I don't mind the "baba". It's also good for your gut health. Think I'll make some tomorrow 🤔 I look forward to your next video.

@blancas2963 2 жыл бұрын

Love nopales!! More of your incredible recipes with this treasure, please!!

@theapopkagardener2485 2 жыл бұрын

Nice. I actually have several nopales plant in my garden. I grill them with olive oil and salt and pepper. They are really delicious. I’m going to try your suggestions. Thank you so much.

@ClaudiaJS 2 жыл бұрын

Who said Mexican food isn't healthy? My mom taught me how to clean these...just with a knife and bare hands. Not easy but can be done. Ensalada de nopales is an excellent dish and very traditional in many parts of Mexico. Ingredients: nopales, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeños and season with jalapeño vinegar, dash of oregano and salt to taste. Enjoy! Mmmm!

@K1k05 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent 😎

@gilfabian765 Жыл бұрын

Great presentation. Such a great simple method. Great job

@veronicac792 2 жыл бұрын

Oh thank you so much for this video. I love nopal. I would always shy away from cooking the paddles, as I really was not sure how to cook them. I love nopal with egg 🥚 and of course corn tortillas.

@cr-jz2su 2 жыл бұрын

Have you boneless and skinless chicken thighs cooked with pickled nopales and cilantro leaves with ground up oregano oh and serrano pepper. In a tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes. Omg it is so good. First cook chicken in little oil then add fresh chopped tomatoes with tomato sauce cover to make the chopped tomatoes cook. Add fresh chopped cilantro and Donna Maria pickled nopales including the serrano pepper with ground oregano mix and cover to cook. Please season the chicken with salt and cumin. Serve over steam white rice and pinto beans. Please taste the chicken and tomato sauce you will add cilantro or oregano to taste. Sometimes you just add cilantro or other times just oregano. This recipe comes from a little town Sabinas Hidalgo, it is in Mexico Nuevo Leon state or it could be Coahuila state. Well off the road to Saltillo from Nuevo Laredo. Maybe someone from the town can give you more on the yummy recipe. Love watching your show.

@kentonbolte931 2 жыл бұрын

Love to hear you talk about New Mexican vs Mexican dishes.

@rosanna3714 2 жыл бұрын

Love nopales and chorizo and eggs wrapped in a flour tortilla !!

@mickcharlesbeaver4331 8 ай бұрын

This nopal recipe turned out great! Super easy.

@jgibbs9771 11 ай бұрын

Nice to see you again. I use to watch you on tv every week

@Divina.28 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent thank you so much🦋

@taterhater7419 20 күн бұрын

i love this recipe and nopales. super easy i just add them to mu burritos. delicious.

@Zulma91 2 жыл бұрын

I love nopales!! My favorite way is simply grilled. My mom would make score marks on them, season them with salt and pepper, and cook them on both sides in a skillet. So good! It really brings out the citrusyness of it.

@jamescampolo7824 3 ай бұрын

One a time a friend from Wisconsin came by my yard in Arizona and marveled at the nopales growing here. I told him that people eat them. So he picked one off of the plant and started eating it. He was pulling stickers out of his hand and mouth for days. lol

@blackhorse2947 2 жыл бұрын

I clean my Nopales like you. One of my favorites is coating them with olive oil and get some char marks on the grill both sides. Take some shredded Queso Oaxaca cheese place on one paddle and cover with another and grill til cheese melts………Muy delicioso

@rickbayless 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds great!

@Ninjalectual 2 жыл бұрын

I've been wanting to try these!

@MajorHavoc214 2 жыл бұрын

The same cleaning and cooking styles works well with prickly pear cactus which you can find all over the USA Southwest.

@markfcoble Ай бұрын

Thanks for the reminder....!

@bierbrauer11 2 жыл бұрын

Cool! I like nopales and always wondered.. scrolled through my subscriptions looking for your latest but couldn’t find it. I’ve watched so many of your videos but just realized I wasn’t subscribed and now I feel a bit bad. Fixed that problem in a hurry though!

@ihatebobsaget1989 3 ай бұрын

i had traditional cactus fried up at a mexican resturant as a side dish with eggs, beans and other things. So good, like a better version of a green bean to me

@cuterabbitsdeadkill Жыл бұрын

Nopales remind me of my mom and the food she would make when i was a kid.

@adamblackman6660 2 жыл бұрын

I found a dish in Oaxaca that was I believed called sopa de Oaxcanios? Fire roasted tomato pepper soup with fried tortilla strips, cactus, and a thin omelette with Oaxacan cheese inside. Omelette soup is amazing!

@LauraC369 2 жыл бұрын

I cook them fresh with tomatillo sheaths ... the papery covering of tomatillos.. together with the onion, no water. It is so versatile and nutritious 🤤... cold in salads or warm in stews, scrambled eggs with potatoes...

@debbiecarleton2101 2 жыл бұрын

I love them

@ricardogallardo8284 Жыл бұрын

Nice video man.

@RT-ym9us Жыл бұрын

They have a very green bean/pole bean smell when cooking, perhaps a viable alternative!

@OriginalGabriel 2 жыл бұрын

Nopale tacos with a pineapple/habanero salsa are so damn good

@KurogamiProductions 2 жыл бұрын

In fact, pineapple and nopal get along pretty well. Have you ever tried "jugo verde"? One of the best fiber sources and cholesterol disintegrers: nopal, pineapple, celery and, if you want, a dash of lime juice. Better if you add some pure honey.

@user-kd9rz5zx2h 9 ай бұрын

تسلم ايدك. استاذ الله يوفقك

@m3vt2seffn 2 жыл бұрын

Hello Rick with the nopales what I do I just buy them out of a jar rinse them out leave them in the colander this is the way I cook them I heat up some hamburger some sausage and then after it's fully cooked then I put the nopales in there salt pepper beat up like six eggs cook it all the way through sprinkle cheese on top of it roll it up in a tortilla and that's how I eat mine no nopales

@josephatkins6581 2 жыл бұрын

Maybe someday I will live near a Mexican market, that would be nice. Keep in mind a lot of your fans just don't have them.

@extropiantranshuman 2 жыл бұрын

when you put cactus in a blender with water, it forms a goop like flax and chia - so I bet it's great to substitute.

@rosendodominguez1185 2 жыл бұрын

Are all cactus created equally? In other words, I am growing cactus around my house, not sure if they are edible? Kind of like cactus control.

@mawlinzebra 2 жыл бұрын

They are all edible

@jasonparrish8670 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the excellent technique and knowledge. It sounds like if we intend on adding these to a salsa or mole, best to sauté the nopales in parallel and add them at the end of any stewing period. Are there applications where you add fresh nopales at the start of a longer-cooking dish?

@user_-1939 2 жыл бұрын

Hey there, I like your thinking. You're free to try, but the 'baba' would seep into the dish and probably give it a slimier mouthfeel than you'd like. That's the reason most people boil and drain the nopales separately to get rid of it. Bayless' method here does the same thing, by cooking off the slime. Hope this helps!

@haveagoodone2935 Жыл бұрын

I made cactus tacos thanks to this video

@lsb2623 2 жыл бұрын

Turning nope into yup into yum, since the 90's!

@OTseven 9 ай бұрын

PLEASE REPLY. What and how do you clean your cutting board?? I've been watching you for years. LOVE these vids. Watched your show on TV when it was on. And have eaten at your restaurant in Chicago, which is still the best meal I've ever had in my 69 years of life. And ALL these years I've wanted to know how you keep your board clean. Sanitized? Scoured ?

@Winecone 2 жыл бұрын

My grandma grabs them while she peels them, and our home way of cooking them sometimes is with special sauce made out of chilies for it.(Jalisco)

@LuisSanchez-xc9ih 2 жыл бұрын

Grilled with chorizo tacos

@JeffGillis1 2 жыл бұрын

Always wanted to learn how to cook these. However, it looked like you cut the second paddle directly on top of the thorn’s you scraped off the first paddle, the same with the onion? It would seem that your cooked cactus would be full of thorns?

@vickycamarena4697 2 жыл бұрын

It works better it you keep the knife on an angle to get the little picos off.

@analinares-nu7zt 3 ай бұрын

Esta correcto se cocinan con su propia baba del nopal..cactus ...silantro.ajo.y cebolla...sal y listo. 👍

@mr.osunasmathematicschanne8136 2 жыл бұрын

Show how to make nopales con longaniza....

@L.Spencer 2 жыл бұрын

I wonder if the baba is like drinking aloe vera, which can be good for you but I read can also be hard on the kidneys. Edit: that's larger quantities, they have latex.

@chaztech9824 2 жыл бұрын

yay ty rb

@Cuezaltzin 9 ай бұрын

I use a potatoe peeler around the perimeter.

@ragheadand420roll 2 жыл бұрын

Use a small paring knife and just slice away each thorn area

@adrianaangelcoria1248 2 жыл бұрын

I like nopales salad with milanesa.

@triciak.bowers3569 Жыл бұрын

I'd be interested in learning the source of the assertion that nopales slow down the metabolism of carbohydrates.

@plentyoflife8504 2 жыл бұрын

Hey all! does anyone know if Mr. Bayless does any culinary classes in the US? I would love to learn more about this art and like his style. Feel free to reply if you know at all. Thanks!

@AZOMBIERYO 2 жыл бұрын

As a kid i hated nopales, it was like how some kids hate broccoli Ironically i loved broccoli lol

@ericktellez7632 2 жыл бұрын

My grandma uses soluble/instant coffee like Nescafe when making nopales, when she is boiling them she adds a spoon or two of nescafe to get rid of the babas lol

@extropiantranshuman 2 жыл бұрын

I have a prickly pear cactus. It's a little more intensive to clean the pads. It's really sweet, so I turn it into a drink. It's not called cactus cooler for no reason (I know that's a soda without real cactus, but still). I also make cactus jerky.

@jenniferthom Жыл бұрын

Oh that is so interesting! How do you make a jerky? Cut into strips, but then smoke it or food dehydrated? The drink sounds so refreshing as well!

@extropiantranshuman Жыл бұрын

@@jenniferthom you can just eat it raw like raw jerky, but I will put it in the toaster oven and it will deflate to a jerky. I forgot if you add bbq sauce before or dip it after - but I think it does taste better adding bbq sauce before cooking it? You can experiment with the toaster oven. Not sure about the dehydrator though - you don't really want it leathery. The drink is on my personal website under 'mint julep'. I'm surprised the jerky isn't there, so I'll add it.

@extropiantranshuman Жыл бұрын

@@jenniferthom ok I posted the jerky recipes on my personal website.

@extropiantranshuman 2 жыл бұрын

I just read that nopales and prickly pear's the same thing. I'm a little skeptical about the way you do it, as you don't run it under water, but I don't either. I actually go an extra step and peel off the thin skin at the top and the spike parts come out with it. The way it's scraped - I feel scared that the spikes will go into the pad, maybe that's me.

@WeArePharmers 2 жыл бұрын

do these need to be washed prior to taking off the thorns?

@create965 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely not

@aprillomina8232 2 жыл бұрын

Can I use instead of okra? Similar texture? I can get nopal easier than okra

@cachi-7878 2 жыл бұрын

You can also salt them and let them render their “baba” before cooking them.

@extropiantranshuman 2 жыл бұрын

i'm wondering if there are any mexican cactus drinks around? They sometimes sell cactus juice where I live.

@JayZoop Жыл бұрын

I just cooked it. It fore surely needed acidity like vinegar. It offered a good crunch inside a pasta dish.

@lyudmilabakalinskaya8905 2 ай бұрын

Where did you get that portrait of the luchador with the virgen mary? I see it at 3:54 Looks cool

@taterhater7419 20 күн бұрын

this is the easiest way. and delicious. boiling, don't waste your time.

@conniemartinez2302 Ай бұрын

It's Vava...😋 no offense. You cook good.

@trashboity8773 Жыл бұрын

this guy really moves in slow motion

@jamesguzmanii9812 7 ай бұрын

I couldn't help but notice, after you scraped the cactus you went right into cutting it then mentioned about cleaning the thorns away from the cutting area. You did this by scraping the board with your blade but went right to cutting again without wiping off the blade. It seemed like a bunch of the thorns made it into the slices. Wil they soften and be edible as they cook or should we be more careful?

@maricarlo6043 3 ай бұрын

Same question....you transition from nopales with thorns and cutting them to prep for tacos

@nahuilegorreta6572 2 жыл бұрын

Chile verde with chayote and nopales 🤘🤘🤘🤘

@estrelladelsol3425 2 ай бұрын

I use a fork to remove the stickers. I'm cooking some now

@hibiscustree 5 ай бұрын

I have a verity that does not have those hard needles on them. Is it safe to use in the same way as these?

@wilfredgu1 Жыл бұрын

Can they be taken Raw? I want to take it with other fruits in a milk shake. Would that be ok?

@extropiantranshuman 2 жыл бұрын

I heard there's 115 varieties - maybe we have different ones. Mine looks a little different

@liliabenavides4052 2 жыл бұрын

I keep diabetes at bay by eating nopales a few times a week.

@mema7948 3 ай бұрын

Where are now. Let’s meet tomorrow

@jamescampolo7824 3 ай бұрын

I have acres of the same type you are working with. For years I thought about doing something with them but they look like a lot of trouble. Come by and you can have a few hundred pounds. lol