Recipe courtesy of The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

Tewa Tacos (AKA- Indian Tacos)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: Six 4-inch round fry breads
  • Total: 57 min
  • Prep: 25 min
  • Inactive: 2 min
  • Cook: 30 min
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Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

6 round Fry Bread pieces, recipe follows

1/2 pound Cheddar cheese, grated

1 head lettuce, shredded

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped

Salsa, optional

Green chile, optional

Fry Bread:

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry milk solids

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lard, cut into 1/2-inch bits, plus 1 pound lard, for deep frying

Directions

  1. Brown the ground beef in a saute pan. Divide equally onto 6 Fry Bread rounds. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Great served with salsa and green chile!

Fry Bread:

  1. Combine the flour, dry milk solids, baking powder and salt, and sift them into a deep bowl. Add the lard bits and, with your fingertips, rub the flour and fat together until the mixture resembles flakes of coarse meal. Pour in the water and toss the ingredients together until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Drape the bowl with a kitchen towel and then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 2 hours. After sitting, tear the dough into 6 equal pieces. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball into a circle about 4 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. With a small knife, cut 2 (4 to 5-inch) long parallel slits completely through the dough, down the center of each rolled piece, spacing the slits about 1-inch apart. In a heavy, 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the remaining pound of lard over moderate heat until it is very hot but not smoking. The melted fat should be about 1-inch deep, add more lard if necessary. Fry the rolled dough, 1 at a time, for about 2 minutes on each side, turning them once with tongs. The bread will puff slightly and become crisp and brown. Drain the Navajo fry bread on paper towels and serve warm.

Let's Get Cooking!

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P W.

If you check around on this site, there are a couple more fry bread recipes that I've seen. I have to agree, don't over-complicate this. Flour, baking powder, salt, water, that is all that is necessary for fry bread. Can deep-fry in lard or oil, but many prefer the lard. Some people add a little sugar, or use a can of evaporated milk, or even powdered milk... different versions can all be very good. Don't overwork the dough, or it will be tough! And be sure your oil is hot! One thing about the Indian taco recipe that seems to be missing, is using refried beans directly on the frybread, then adding the browned hamburger, and then lettuce, tomatoes, onions, grated cheese, salsa, or any combination of your choice. This is regular fare at any Native American event, at least here on the West Coast. Probably not so good for you, what with the deep-frying and all, but OH-SO-GOOD!

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