Cactus with onion and guajillo-tomato sauce

Holding a cactus paddle with tongs, trim around the perimeter and scrape off all the spines and nodes with the knife held perpendicular, without cutting into the paddle; cut into about half-inch pieces (or buy it cleaned and diced).

Dry roast garlic in a skillet over medium heat until completely soft.

Stem and tear open the guajillo chilies; toast in the skillet, pressing down, flip, until they change colour slightly and are very aromatic, a few seconds.

Tear the chilies into the blender jar with the peeled roasted garlic and about half a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained; puree.

Warm a little olive oil in the pot; add the sliced onion and cook over medium to medium-high until it begins to brown, quickly so it does not soften too much first.

Add the cactus, cover, and cook over medium heat 5 minutes so the sticky mucilaginous liquid comes out.

Uncover and stir a few more minutes until the liquid evaporates and the cactus is light and crunchy.

Scrape in the tomato-chile puree and cook about 15 minutes to reduce to the consistency of tomato paste.

Add about half a cup of water, turn down to medium-low and simmer a few minutes for the flavours to come together.