Now that you know how to make Indian fry bread (see my blog post here) and Ranch Style beans (see my blog post from March 9, 2018) you can make Indian Tacos!
Take a fry bread
top with Ranch style beans,
then add cheese,
and lettuce as desired.
Make note: this is a knife and fork dish!
Ingredients:
Indian Fry Bread
Ranch Style Beans (canned or homemade)
Lettuce
Tomato (I left this off-they looked very sad at the grocery store this week)
Shredded Cheese (I used 4-cheese Mexican blend)
Sour cream (optional)
Green onions (optional)
Directions:
Top your fry break with the beans, lettuce, cheese, and other toppings as desired. That's it!
But, if you decided to make your beans, add about 8 hours cook time. Also note that it takes about 40 minutes to make fry bread.
Enjoy,
Suzanne
So, when making an Indian taco, the beans are key...Ranch Style Beans. That doesn't seem too hard, you could just go buy a can of those at the grocery, right? You could, but then, would they really taste authentic?
After searching Pinterest, the internet, and many websites, I finally read the back of a can. Then went home chanting, tomato paste, onion, garlic powder, smoked paprika, spices. -Wait-What spices?!
I thought about it, and decided it must be some sort of pepper. So, here it goes: Ranch Style Beans.
First, source really good beans. I used Santa Maria Pinquito Beans from Rancho Gordo. You can find them at this link on their website (opens in a new window).
Then you need to cook the beans. I am a huge fan of the crock-pot method.
Place rinsed and sorted beans (you have to remove pebbles and things) in a crock pot with 1/4 c. dried onion or 1/2 c. diced fresh onion. Add a bay leaf, 2-3 tbsp of fat (sunflower oil, olive oil, lard, or unsalted butter) and cover with enough water to cover the beans. Cook on high 4-6 hours until beans are soft. Do not salt the beans or add acid at this stage!
One minor change-for ranch style beans, crumble a dried cayenne pepper into the crockpot.
Now Ranch Style beans:
Ingredients:
1 cup dried beans, softened as above (pinquito, cranberry, pink, or pinto work well)
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste.
Directions:
Once beans have softened in your crock-pot, add remaining ingredients and stir. Turn heat to low on crock-pot. Cook for 2-4 more hours (bean sauce will thicken as it sits. If it gets too thick before serving, stir in a little water).
That's it! Enjoy,
Suzanne
