You really can't make this dish without the special ingredients linked to above. Yes, you can sub in a few, but do your best to get at least a few of them. Probably the most vital in terms of flavor are the cholla buds and tepary beans. There is no substitute for the cholla, and while other beans could sub in for the teparies, they won't be the same. I chose quail because it fits in the Sonora, but rabbit, chicken, turkey or even darker meats like dove or venison would work naturally here, too.
1/2cupdried tepary beans,rehydrated in water overnight
1/2cupdried cholla buds,rehydrated in water overnight
4to 5 Roma or other paste tomatoes,seeded and diced
10to 20 l'itoi onions,or small shallots, peeled but whole
1/2to 1 teaspoon chiltepin chiles,crushed
3tablespoonsavocado or squash seed oil
Lime juice to taste
Instructions
Put the soaked tepary beans into a pot of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add a healthy pinch of salt to the water halfway through the cooking time.
In another pot, bring about a quart of water to a boil and salt it well. Add the soaked cholla buds and boil until al dente, about 20 minutes. Drain, pat dry and set aside.
Take the quail out of the fridge, salt them well, and set out to come to room temperature.
Heat 3 tablespoons of avocado oil in a pan over high heat. Sear the onions until you get some browning on the edges. Add the cholla buds and get a little sear on them, too. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes and chiltepin chiles. Sprinkle a little salt over everything and cover the pan. Set aside.
Get your grill hot and clean the grates. Grill the quail breast side up with the cover down until the bottom gets a little char, about 5 minutes. Paint the birds with the prickly pear syrup. Turn them over and grill with the cover open for 2 or 3 minutes more. Tip the quail up on their sides, two at a time so they can lean on each other, so you can grill the legs and wings better. Paint them with more prickly pear syrup. Let them cook about 3 minutes per side. The quail should be done by now, but if you are worried they're not, turn off the heat (if your grill is gas) or move the birds to a cooler spot on the grill, cover and let the residual heat finish them.
By now the beans should be done. Drain and add to the pan with the onions and cholla buds. Toss to combine and add salt, oil and lime juice to taste. Serve with the quail.