Michoacan Meat with Nopales

Tender chunks of beef are simmered with strips of slightly astringent and viscous nopales (cactus leaves) in this smoky and hot chillied stew. Michoacan is a lush region of central Mexico. Its cuisine reflects the abundance of fresh produce. Cactus grows in profusion there, and the flesh of its leaves is eaten in salads, stews of all kinds, or scrambled with eggs.

This distinctive stew is flavoured with chipotle chilli; if none is available, add an extra hit of hot pepper, some mild