Serious Sandwiches: Navajo Lamb Sandwich
Photo courtesy of chowdownphoenix.com
Obviously most of us can't afford to go to the Super Bowl, and quite frankly if you don't live in New England or New York City, I don't understand why you would want to. But, if I was going to Phoenix for this year's Super Bowl, you better believe I'd be eating one of these: the Navajo Lamb Sandwich from Arizona Native Frybread.
Invented by the Navajo people, frybread is normally served at fairs, pow-wows, and art shows and can come topped with powdered sugar or honey (think elephant ears) or beans, meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, commonly referred to as an "Indian taco." But for a truly unique and authentic savory Navajo frybread sandwich, you have to go out to Arizona Native Frybread in Mesa, one of the few permanent, year-round shops for an authentic Navajo frybread sandwich like this.
The sandwich starts with the namesake frybread, which is hand-made from a very simple dough mixture of flour, baking powder, salt, and water. The dough is rolled out and then fried in corn oil in a frying pan until it is brown on both sides and slightly puffy. The meat gets an authentic Navajo preparation, which is to say fairly simple. Unseasoned slices of lamb leg are grilled and then placed into the frybread. On top of that goes hot roasted green chiles (usually Anaheims), then lettuce, tomato, and red onion. Fold over and enjoy!
Mesa is around 30 minutes outside of Phoenix, and about 45 minutes to an hour from the Super Bowl, but for a lamb-stuffed, fried-dough sandwich, I think it's well worth the drive.
About the author: Zach Brooks is the proprietor of Midtown Lunch, where he blogs about affordable lunchtime eats in Midtown Manhattan. The guy knows his sandwiches.
Arizona Native Frybread
Address: 1437 E. Main Street, Mesa AZ 85203 (map)
Phone: 480-649-1314
Website: aznativefrybread.com
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17 Comments:
Mesa is also where the Chicago Cubs hold spring training. One of these years I'm gonna make it down there and eat to my heart's content.
nokrapt at 1:43PM on 01/30/08
Woot! I looked at that picture and thought, "Great, another delicious-looking NYC food I'll never get to eat." I'm in Phoenix!!! Woot!
OneWallKitchen at 1:53PM on 01/30/08
I grew up in arizona eating indian fry bread covered w/ powdered sugar. it's a lot like funnel cake. i used to love it! it was always at fairs and carnivals and i think i even got it outside the san xazvier mission once. i didnt know there was somewhere you could get it year round. im going to have to go there when i visit next. it looks awesome!
jeremypb at 1:57PM on 01/30/08
oh man .. the crispy outside, fluffy inside of elephant ears without all the sugar and the added bonus of grilled lamb? that sounds too good to be true!
Charise at 2:07PM on 01/30/08
Jeremypb- I have also had the frybread outside the SanXavier Mission in Tucson-YUM! thanks! I was trying to remember the name of it.
by the way guys... frybread it SUPER easy to make at home- and delicious! Sometimes we top ours with Chili (the thick red soup kind with beans & meat), or Green chile ( the southwest pork kind),(ya gotta be specific in theSouthwest) and I've even topped it with preserves and butter..yum! Think I'll make some tonight...
bisbee at 3:51PM on 01/30/08
Lambwich?
Kerosena at 4:00PM on 01/30/08
There's a ramada just outside San Xavier del Bac Misssion just outside Tucson with several vendors of fry bread and your choice of options, as you said, and it seems to be open daily.
lemons at 4:18PM on 01/30/08
I want one of these lambwiches right now. Maybe they would fed ex a couple to New York.
Ed Levine at 4:27PM on 01/30/08
you can also find them on the way from Colorado down to Phoenix- roadside stands in Navajo Country-Shiprock AZ and the like.... I'm headed that way on my roadrip to Phoenix- I 'll let you know what I find. mmm can't wait!
bisbee at 4:43PM on 01/30/08
Anyone have a recipe for frybread?
ChiefHDB at 5:12PM on 01/30/08
Bisbee--you're right, it is easy to make! A friend taught me how, and we offer them at his big dinner parties. We basically just from balls of dough from the master dough, then flatten them out and fry them in a wok of oil when we're ready to serve them. The only real challenge is flattening them out without punching them full of holes! ;D
OneWallKitchen at 5:19PM on 01/30/08
I WANT. BADLY.
I feel pretty dumb for not having eaten something like this when I was in Arizona. I have had something similar to that over here on the east coast (NJ) at...um, the Cheesecake Factory. Yeah, they had a navajo sandwich. I still remember thinking how freakin' awesome it was, which makes me wonder how much I'd love one from Arizona...
roboppy at 6:23PM on 01/30/08
Mmm, these are the things I'll miss when leaving Phoenix.
Rozillla at 11:55PM on 01/30/08
I'm so confused. To this NYer, elephant ears are a very flaky, very sweet puff pasty rolled in on itself in many layers. Kinda looks like a pageboy without a head in the middle. No toppings, always sweet.
Frybread, to me, looks more like New England fried dough, which can be served with either sweet or savory toppings. Can anyone clarify for me?
Barbara Hanson at 9:21AM on 01/31/08
Ah fried dough semantics... my favorite topic of conversation! :-)
Zach Brooks at 10:30AM on 01/31/08
BaHa - the best (nationwide) comparison I can make to frybread(since I haven't had the new england type) is (oh my goodness can't believe I'm mentioning this here) it is similar to the bread/tacoshell thingy served at Taco Bell- called a "chalupa". ( I know- gross!!!...but as far as I know Taco bell is nationwide and in "horrid non-authentic chain way" it compares somewhat) I wouldn't compare it to a elephant ear for the most part- that would be too sweet. AZ. Fry bread is able to lend itself to sweet or savory toppings. Save yourself from this google frybread= then make it at home you will see.
bisbee at 11:32AM on 01/31/08
Hmm.. we could source the frybread from Blue Smoke.. but where to get the lamb... Thoughts?
dbdtron
dbdtron at 1:34PM on 02/01/08