How to eat a cactus

On a recent trip to Phoenix, Arizona, I was walking through a Mexican market and saw the pads from cactus wrapped in plastic next to the other greens. Wondering how it was cooked and served I inquired with the locals. Apparently cooking cactus, an often bitter plant, you must first sweat it first. Often prepared into salsas, the cactus is chopped finely and then sweated down in a fat to extract any sweetness that may exist inside. From there you can grind it, blend it, or just serve it along with your main dish. I would attempt the salsa, adding in some finely diced red onions, and tomatoes. Serve with some blue corn chips and you're set for eating as the South westerners do.