Picadillo Con Nopalitos-Beef with Cactus and Green Chile
My favorites, picadillo, nopalitos, chile verde and ancho sauce come together in one dish!
Servings 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb 80/20 Ground beef or chuck
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 c white onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2-3 serrano peppers, left whole
- 1 lb previously cooked nopales that are diced
- 1 1/2 c chile ancho sauce see link above
- 1 c broth
- 1 lb previously roasted Anaheim or hatch green chile that have been sliced into bite size pieces
- 1 tsp oregano, crushed
Instructions
- In a large skillet, at medium heat, add the beef. Season with 3/4 tsps each of salt and pepper. Using a flat edge wooden spoon, break down the beef as it cooks for the next 10-12 minutes. Drain out any excess fat.
- Once beef is browned, add in the onion, garlic and whole serrano peppers. The peppers will add some flavor without adding in a lot of heat. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Mix in the cactus(nopales), chile ancho sauce and the broth. Stir well to combine. When it comes up to a simmer, taste for salt. Cook for 10 minutes before mixing in the green chile and crushed oregano. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
- If using this for a tamal filling, I suggest you cook it down until it becomes thicker. This will work better for filling tamales, empanadas, tacos dorados or enchiladas.
- Or you can serve it a little more soupy with a side of frijoles de la olla and Mexican rice. Don't forget the warm tortillas.
Notes
Get a little help from the local market and purchase roasted green chile frozen or in cans. it's good to keep some on hand for a shorter meal preparation. Blend store bought roasted green chiles with 1 jar of tomatillo salsa. Doctor it up with garlic, cumin and oregano and cook at medium heat. if it's too thick, mix in a little chicken broth. This makes an excellent sauce for enchiladas!