Nopal cactus cleaned and cooked al vapor

Hold each cactus paddle with tongs and cut about a quarter inch off all around the edge, where the thorns are hard to remove.

Scrape off the thorns against the grain with the knife held perpendicular to the paddle, wiping them onto the side of the board; repeat on the other side, leaving none.

Cut the paddle in half lengthwise and then into quarter-inch strips.

Put the strips in a pan over medium heat with a good douse of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and a slice or two of onion broken up.

Cover and cook five minutes so the sticky baba exudes.

Uncover and cook another four or five minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and only a little oiliness remains; turn off the heat.

Use cooled in a tossed salad sprinkled with a little vinegar, chopped into pico de gallo, with tacos, or added toward the end of a pork shoulder stew in tomatillo sauce.