Fried Cactus Strips

Playoffs. Round one: 42-13. Diego was quiet but efficient — 138 yards, stayed healthy, came off the field when the game was decided and let the backups build their confidence in the fourth quarter. He is a player who understands the difference between what he needs and what the team needs. In the fourth quarter of a comfortable win, the team needs the backups to play. He knew it before I suggested it. He was already on the bench with his helmet off. That's the read I'll remember most from this season.

Hector is coming to the semifinals. He'll drive up with Marisol for the game. I've already made the arrangements — the accessible parking, the field-level seating, the two-hour buffer for his travel pace. He sounded stronger this week when I called. Marisol said the cooler weather has been helping him; he does better in autumn. She said she thinks he's been willing himself to be stronger for the championship run. She said it without drama. She's been managing his willpower and his body simultaneously for three years. She knows him better than he knows himself at this point, and she loves him with a patience that I want to write down so I can remember what love at its most sustained looks like.

Made green chile posole on Wednesday. Just to have it on the stove. The playoffs need posole on the stove. It's not superstition; it's preparation. The house smells like a house where good things happen. I want the house to smell like that for as long as I'm able to make it smell that way.

The posole carries the night, but it doesn’t have to carry it alone. When Hector visits for the semifinals, I want the kitchen doing more than one thing — something to snack on while the broth simmers, something that feels rooted in the same tradition that brought posole into this house in the first place. Fried cactus strips have always been that for me: simple, a little unexpected to people who didn’t grow up with them, and deeply at home on a stovetop that’s already working. If the house is going to smell like a place where good things happen, it might as well smell like this too.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb fresh nopales (cactus paddles), spines removed, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 2 cups)
Lime wedges and salsa, for serving

Instructions

Prep the cactus. Rinse the cactus strips thoroughly under cold water. Pat completely dry with paper towels — removing as much moisture as possible ensures a crisp crust rather than a soggy one.
Make the breading. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the milk until combined.
Bread the strips. Working in small batches, dip each cactus strip in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the seasoned flour-cornmeal mixture, pressing lightly so the coating adheres. Set breaded strips on a plate in a single layer.
Heat the oil. Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of about 1 inch. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F, or until a pinch of breading sizzles immediately on contact.
Fry in batches. Add cactus strips in a single layer without crowding the pan. Fry 3—4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack or paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining strips, adjusting heat as needed to maintain temperature.
Season and serve. Hit the finished strips with a light pinch of salt while still hot. Serve immediately with lime wedges and salsa on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Fried Cactus Strips — Something From the Southwest to Keep the Stove Alive