YumSugar

'Wich of the Week: Navajo Taco

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:00:04 -0800

Countless sandwiches are native to America, but the Navajo Taco is a Native American sandwich in the strictest sense of the word. Made by piling New Mexican taco fixings onto traditional Navajo frybread, this scrumptious sandwich is a specialty of Arizona, so on a recent trip to Phoenix, I stopped by The Fry Bread House to do some firsthand research.

My first question, of course, is why a Navajo Taco - also called an Indian Taco - is considered a sandwich rather than a taco. The crucial distinction is that tacos are made with tortillas and sandwiches are made with bread - in this case, Navajo fry bread, which tastes like a cross between a thick fried pita and funnel cake without the sugar. Indian tacos are typically filled with beans, ground beef, or a combination of both; I opted for refried beans, flavored with strips of New Mexico green chiles. Salivating yet? For the juicy details and a recipe, read more.

The taco arrives swaddled in paper, tidily tied up at the top. But undo the paper, and the enormous sandwich spills open to reveal a bouncy cushion of fry bread about the size of a frisbee, coated with smooth red salsa, beans and onions, iceberg lettuce, and shredded cheddar cheese.

I thought about eating it with a knife and fork, but I'm glad I didn't, because the fry bread only gets tastier when folded around the filling, deliciously deflated of air as it soaks up the saucy mess. In this case, the toppings weren't anything special: I kind of wished the cheddar cheese were melted, and I added a healthy helping of hot sauce.

But the main selling point is the fresh-from-the-pan fry bread, and it did not disappoint. I devoured the whole enormous lunch in spite of my promise to myself that I wouldn't.

Tewa Tacos (aka Indian Tacos)
Modified From Food Network

Ingredients

For the tacos:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup refried beans
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
1 (3-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
For the 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

Make the fry bread: 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.
To make the tacos: Brown the ground beef in a saute pan. At the end, add refried beans to heat.
Divide equally onto 6 fry bread rounds. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green chiles, onions, and salsa, if desired.

Makes 6 4-inch round tacos.

Print recipe with images | without images

'Wich of the Week: Fried Oyster Po'boy

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:00:07 -0800

If you're a fan of oysters, you may be sneaking the seafood into your Thanksgiving stuffing. But the batter-fried bivalves are even more divine stuffed inside a sandwich - in this case, the famous New Orleans French-bread creation known as an oyster po'boy or oyster loaf.Just how divine is the oyster loaf? In the 1800s, the sandwich was nicknamed la mediatrice or "the peacemaker," because husbands brought them home to placate angry wives. Some skeptics wonder how a po'boy is different from a sub or a grinder, so for further insight and two great recipes, read more.

If you've ever eaten an oyster po'boy, you know that it's no sub sandwich. What sets a po'boy apart is the fluffy but flaky French bread that's native to New Orleans. The way the crusty loaf hugs the cornmeal-crusted oysters, squishing them down to manageable sandwich size, elevates an otherwise simple recipe to regal status. This version, which I devoured on a sunny Monday morning at Nola's Acme Oyster House, is "dressed" with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo, plus a touch of Tabasco and lemon. But the minimalists among you can skip the dressing. Below, get the recipes for both the oyster loaf and the cormeal-crusted oysters that go inside it.

Oyster Loaf
Modified From The New Orleans Cookbook

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh fried oysters
1 small loaf French bread (about 1 foot long)
1/4 cup salt butter
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
2 slices tomato
Mayonnaise (optional)
Tabasco (optional)
Salt (optional)

Directions

Prepare the fried oysters according to the recipe for Fried Oysters in Corn Meal.
Slice the French bread in half across and then in half lengthwise.
Place in a 300 degree oven to warm for about 6 minutes.
Spread butter generously over the inner surfaces of the bread and heap the fried oysters on the bottom pieces.
Add mayonnaise and Tabasco, or just a bit of salt if you prefer, and cover with the top pieces of bread. Serve hot.

Makes one sandwich.

Print recipe with images | without images

Fried Oysters in Corn Meal
The New Orleans Cookbook

Ingredients

1 1/2 pints fresh shucked oysters (about 2 1/2 dozen medium-sized oysters)
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 cup finely ground yellow corn meal
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh, finely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

Drain the oysters thoroughly in a colander. Meanwhile, heat the oil to 375 degrees in a deep fryer.
In a bowl combine the corn meal, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and mix thoroughly.
Roll the drained oysters about 6 to 8 at a time in the seasoned corn meal, taking care to coat each one evenly and thoroughly.
Fry the oysters in batches of 6 to 8, taking care to keep the frying temperature between 360 and 375 degrees; wait a few minutes after frying a batch for the oil temperature to rise again to the desired level. (If you use a heavy kettle or saucepan, be sure to clip a deep frying thermometer to the side of it and to adjust the burner heat to keep the oil temperature constant.) Fry each batch of oysters for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
When done, drain thoroughly by raising the frying basket out of the oil or by using a long-handled skimmer.
Place each cooked batch on a large platter lined with paper towels, then set in a preheated 200 degree oven to keep warm until all the oysters are fried.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen fried oysters.

Print recipe with images | without images

A Tasty Way to Start the (New Year) Day

partysugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:00:52 -0800

Last week, I woke up (no surprises here) slightly hungover. It seems I had played ~~one~~ three too many rounds of beer pong. As I lay in bed, my head pounding, I suddenly realized I was in the best place in the world to be hungover: my parents' house - where the fridge was always stocked! Sure enough there was bacon, eggs, an assortment of cheese, and bread. It was time to make the ultimate breakfast sandwich - Thomas Keller's cheesy BLT with a fried egg. You may recognize this sandwich from the movie Spanglish. And if you've never made it, treat yourself to one today (especially if you are hungover!).

The combination of crisp bacon, oozing yolk, and melted cheese is scrumptiously sublime. The sandwich features simple ingredients in a magnificent way that is balanced in both taste and texture. Although it's extremely messy to eat, the dish is surprisingly hearty and beyond delicious. To check out this egg-cellent sandwich, read more.

Cheesy BLT With Fried Egg
From Thomas Keller

Ingredients

4 thick slices of bacon
2 slices of Monterey Jack cheese*
2 thick slices of rustic white bread, toasted and hot
1 tablespoon mayonnaise**
4 tomato slices
2 leaves of butter lettuce
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 large egg

Directions

In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Set the Monterey Jack slices on 1 piece of toast. Spread the mayonnaise on the other slice of toast, then top with the bacon, tomato and lettuce.
In a small, nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the egg and fry over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp around the edge, about 4 minutes; the yolk should still be runny.
Slide the egg onto the lettuce; close the sandwich and eat right away.

Makes 1 sandwich.

*We didn't have Monterey Jack on hand, so I substituted another mild, good-melting white cheese, fontina.
**I left out the mayonnaise and didn't miss it. The runny egg provides enough moistness.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 19 Photos ›