Column: Indian taco at Great Jones County Fair filling, affordable

I stopped by the Great Jones County Fair and Food Fest in Monticello to see if it lived up to its name food-wise.

Although it was raining on Sneak-a-Peek free gate night July 21, the brightly colored food stands were still enticing.

Vendors offered everything you would expect at a fair - corn dogs, funnel cakes, fried food on-a-stick, tenderloins and ice cream.

My eyes and stomach told me I wanted to try everything, but my wallet and common sense prevailed.

After making several rounds through food row, I decided on an Indian taco and cherry limeade from the Longhorn Saloon vendor.

The taco was $6.50 and the drink was $3. You may think $6.50 is a little pricey for a taco, but this was huge. Indian tacos are made with frybread, which is so thick and fluffy, it could be a meal in itself.

Topped with pinto beans, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and salsa, the Indian taco was the best bang for my buck.

To see a slide show of the food at the Great Jones County Fair and Food Fest, go to The Gazette's food blog at http://thegazette.com/blogs/dish-it-out

INDIAN TACO

Seasoned hamburger:

1 pound ground chuck or sirloin

Taco seasoning

1 cup refried beans

Frybread:

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon powdered milk

1 tablespoon lard or margarine

1 1/2 cups warm water

Vegetable oil

Toppings:

Grated cheese

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped onions

Chopped green chilies

Chopped olives

Salsa

Sour cream 

Brown the beef in saute pan over medium-high heat. Add taco seasoning, to taste. Add refried beans. Mix well and set aside. 

For the frybread, mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and powdered milk. Add lard or margarine and mix. Add water to make dough soft. Refrigerate until use. Dough will keep several days.

In a heavy skillet, heat 3/4-inch of oil to 375 degrees.

Pat or roll out the dough into approximately six rounds that are of 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick. Slide one round into hot oil. Puncture once or twice. Fry until golden brown. Flip the dough over and fry other side to golden brown. Take out and drain on paper towels. 

Spoon some meat onto hot bread and top with your choice of cheese, tomatoes, onions, green chilies, olives, salsa and sour cream.

Courtesy of Roberta Kesselring,

www.foodnetwork.com