Nopales Taco

I've been in Texas long enough to have never eaten cactus. Sure I've had nopales tortilla chips at a few local restaurants, but I want the real deal. At Fiesta Mart, I found a bag of pre-cut, de-thorned nopales (great, cause I'm too much of a noob to trust that I wouldn't end up eating a thorn if I prepared them myself!). Since this recipe was meant to showcase the subtle cactus flavor, so I could really experience it for the first time, I did not season it very much...so get creative with your tacos!

Nopales Taco
1/2 bag fresh cactus pre-prepared
1/2 can green chiles
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 lime (juice)
white rice
pico de gallo
corn tortillas
salt
fresh ground black pepper

1. In a medium-large saucepot boil water. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Add cactus pieces and turn down heat to medium. The water will get foamy and real slimy. I babysat the pot the whole time to ensure that it did not boil over, and I used a scoop to remove a lot of the foam from the top throughout the cooking. Cook until the cactus tender ~15 minutes. Drain in a colander.
2. In a skillet add oil and heat to medium. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. 
3. Add green chiles and nopales. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
4. Spritz with lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Grill up corn tortillas and assemble: rice, cactus mixture, hot sauce, and pico de gallo.

Thorn-free!

The verdict: yum, but won't be my everyday taco filling!