Gordita Salad with Baja Sauce

It's time for a confession.

My husband and I love Taco Bell.  There, I said it.  I'm not proud.
Once every few weeks the husband will come home and we'll look at each other, silently speaking with questioning eyes.
Next thing we know, we're in the car and on our way to copious amounts of fried food and squeezable nacho cheese.
Words are not necessary.

My absolute favorite food from Taco Bell is the beef gordita.  I was heartbroken when they took the baja sauce from the menu, but they still have it if you ask and throw in a wink.  Our Taco Bell is very accommodating.

Anyway, I recently figured out a way to make gorditas at home.  If you break it down, it's fried bread, ground beef, and taco toppings.  The base of my recipe comes from an Indian Taco recipe I found on Savory Traditions.  I found that the fried bread was a little difficult to fold, so we ate them with a fork and knife.  The Baja Sauce recipe that follows is truly amazing in how fresh it tastes.  I ate the left-overs with tortilla chips.

Please be careful when frying the bread.

Gordita Salad with Baja Sauce

Adapted from Savory Traditions Indian Tacos

Ingredients:

1 lbs. ground beef

15 oz. can of pinto beans, drained

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. garlic powder

Tapatío or Tabasco to taste (whichever you prefer)

2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 cups all-purpose four
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
Canola oil for frying

"Baja Sauce" (recipe below)

Grated cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomatoes or fresh salsa

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef, onion, cumin, coriander and garlic powder
2. Brown the meat, and then turn the heat to low and add a few shakes of the hot sauce and pinto beans
3. Allow to simmer while you make the bread
4. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a large bowl and whisk to aerate
5. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a separate bowl
6. Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour in the liquid; mix until you end up with a dough, adding a little bit of water if the dough is too dry
7. On a floured surface, roll the dough to approximately 1/8" thick
8. Cut the dough into 6" circles (I used a small plate)
9. Use a fork to poke holes through the rounds of dough to allow the oil to come through and help reduce bubbles
10. Using a cast iron Dutch oven, add enough frying oil to be 1/2" deep and add a frying thermometer
11. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature of around 350°F, making sure it doesn't go above 400°F
12. Carefully fry the circles of dough in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, turning once halfway through cooking, and draining on paper towels
13. Top the fried bread with the meat and bean mixture, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and "Baja Sauce"

Baja Sauce

Ingredients:

Half a red bell pepper, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 Tbs. onion, minced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tbs. white vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Chopped cilantro

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
2. Cover and chill until ready to serve