Soft Taco Day Perfection

Today is National Soft Taco Day. A soft taco can be made with a soft Corn Tortilla, a soft Flour Tortilla or cradled in soft, lightly fried bread.

It’s hard to believe, in all these years of dining on Navajo Fry Bread Tacos at Pow Wows, County Fairs, and making them at home, we had never had Fry Bread Tacos in New Mexico. Nor in Arizona or Utah. All places we’ve been to numerous times.

The largest Navajo Reservation; Navajo Nation, is in the Four Corners region of the United States. Its boundaries span three of the four states that make up Four Corners. Only Colorado is not a part of the Navajo Nation. This independent, sovereign Nation in the Southwest is approximately 27,425 square miles. To better put it into perspective; the Navajo Nation is larger than the entire state of West Virginia.

While on our mad-capped adventure to cross the United States, we spent one night in Gallup, New Mexico, some 25 miles south-east of Window Rock, the seat of the Navajo government. Over half of Gallup’s population are Native Americans, and the majority of those are of Navajo ancestry. What better place than Gallup to get a taste of the real deal Navajo Fry Bread Tacos?

This is what I learned. First; theirs aren’t made with a layer of refried beans to “glue” the meat in place on the fry bread. You won’t find much more than the bread, the meat, some lettuce, tomato and a Red or Green Sauce depending upon your heat desire. In New Mexico and Arizona, it’s the Green Sauce you need to watch out for. Unlike Americanized Tacos, there’s no sour cream or cheese. If beans are included at all, they are whole black or pinto beans added to the meat as an additional source of protein.

The fry bread itself was also different. The disks were large – 10 inches or so, filling up an entire dinner plate. The bread; although thicker than mine, was quick fried, much lighter and softer inside. While I still haven’t fully mastered forming larger disks, nor the lighter fry to the outside, this time around my fry bread a bit thicker, much softer, and more “bread” like than before. This was so delicious. I can’t wait to do it again! And yes, I’ll still be adding my Americanized favorite, sour cream.

Salsa Verde Navajo Tacos
Verde Sauce
8 Tomatillos
1/4 White Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
4 Red Serrano Peppers
2 Red Jalapeño Peppers
2 cups Water
Drizzle Habanero Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Husk Tomatillos, rinse to remove sticky residue. Cut a quarter section from an onion; peel and mince. Peel and mince garlic. Stem peppers, split in half. Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the pepper and Tomatillos, simmer, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup water of the liquid.

Place Tomatillos and peppers into a blender. Add minced onion and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Puree mixture. Add a little of the cooking water if needed.

Strain into to a bowl, taste and season with salt as desired.

Fry Bread Shells
3-3/4 cups Flour
2 heaping tablespoons Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1-1/2 tablespoons Lard
1-1/2 cups Milk

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using fingertips; work lard into the dry mixture.

Warm milk. Slowly add the milk to create a dough. Kneed dough with hook attachment for 5 minutes, until a smooth elastic ball is formed. Dump dough out on a floured work surface. Roll into a cylinder about 8-inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap, set aside to rest for 20 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare taco toppings and meat.

Toppings
2 firm Roma Tomatoes
6 Iceberg Lettuce Leaves

Seed and dice tomatoes. Stack lettuce leaves, roll tightly and shred. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Optional Toppings
Sour Cream
Shredded Mexican Cheese

Have optional toppings ready.

Meat Filling
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Spicy Ground Chorizo
1 (16 oz) can Whole Black Beans
1 teaspoon Chipotle Seasoning or to taste
3 tablespoons Taco Seasoning or to taste

In a cast iron skillet, cook ground meats together, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. Once browned, drain some of the grease from the skillet.

While the meat is browning, rinse and drain black beans. Set aside.

Add black beans and seasonings, continue to warm until ready to assemble tacos.

Prepare Fry Bread
Heat about an inch or so of oil in a cast iron skillet to 325-degrees. Line a baking tray with paper towels, set near the skillet with heated oil.

Cut fry bread dough cylinder into 8 equal sections. Roll each section into a ball. Working with one dough ball at a time, flatten into a 6-inch disk. Cover each disk with wax paper or plastic wrap to prevent disks from drying out and cracking.

Working with one disk at a time, fry for about 15 seconds or so per side for the dough to puff up when it hits the hot oil.

Place fried bread on the paper towels to drain. Continue to fry disks and drain on towel until all the disks are ready for assembly

Arrange fry bread on a large platter. Top with meat, tomatoes, shredded lettuce. Drizzle verde sauce over the tacos and serve.

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Lord, let Your face shine upon me.
Teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge;
for I believe in Your commandments.
It is good that You have humbled me,
That I may learn Your justifications