Tender beef, rich red sauce, and cactus that bites back.
Bold, rich, and full of sabor
Ortega’s Nopalitos bring the heart of tradition to this bold and saucy favorite. Tender beef ribs simmer in a rich red chile blend, finished with our pre-trimmed nopales for that authentic flavor you know and love.
Ingredients
1½ lbs chopped nopalitos (pre-cooked)
2½ lbs beef ribs
1 cup water
3 tbsp of oil or lard
3 dried guajillo chiles
3 dried pasilla chiles
3 dried arbol chiles
¼ cup white onion
4 Roma tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, peeled
⅓ cup chopped pineapple
8 large allspice berries (pimienta gorda)
8 black peppercorns
½ tsp whole cumin
1 tsp chicken bouillon
Salt to taste
Instructions
Step 1: Preparing the Meat
In a skillet, add the 1cup of water, 2 peeled garlic cloves, the beef ribs, and boil for 20–25 minutes or until the meat is tender and releases its natural juices. Uncover and stir frequently, add ¼ of oil or lard, continue cooking until the meat browns.
Step 2: Grinding the Spices
In a mortar (molcajete), grind the allspice, black pepper, and cumin until finely powdered. Put aside to combine with sauce in the next step.
Step 3: Preparing the Red Sauce
First, rinse the guajillo, pasilla, and arbol chiles. Remove the stems and seeds.
In a pot with 2 cups of water, boil the chiles with 2 peeled garlic cloves and ¼ of a white onion for about 5 minutes, or until the chiles are soft.
Once ready, transfer everything to the blender with the cooking water. Add ⅓ cup chopped pineapple and 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon. Blend all ingredients until well combined. Stop blender, add the ground spices to the sauce. Blend thoroughly until smooth.
Step 4: Bring it All Together!
Pour the sauce over the browned beef ribs, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and add the chopped nopalitos. Simmer and adjust salt to taste.
Serve with rice, beans, and warm tortillas. Enjoy!