There was lots of local artist displaying jewelry and various Indian themed art work. My first food experience was at Doug's Mutton Shop. I had to order a mutton sandwich. The sandwich was served on fry bread , of course. The clerk asked what I wanted on the sandwich. My options were lettuce, tomato and various condiments. I told him to serve it to me as the locals would have it.
The mutton was served with the most delicious roasted green chile. I took a bite of the mutton and very quickly realized this was some shoe leather tough meat. It was almost like a jerky. I did not find it gamy at all. The flavor was of lamb but the texture was a little too much jaw exercise to be enjoyable.
My next find was kneel down bread. The bread was wrapped in some scorched corn husks and looked like a tamale. I asked the vendor to explain what kneel down bread was. There was a little communication problem but I ordered one anyway. I found out later these are also known as Navajo tamales. It is made with ground fresh corn, a little lard and a pinch of salt. They are thrown onto hot coals and baked.
The wrapper was scorched and the actual bread looked a little unappetizing. I took a bite and was pleasantly surprised. It had a texture like a banana bread. It was also very sweet. I went back to the vendor and asked him what made it sweet. He said it was from the sweetness of the corn. I ate the whole thing. Yum.
This picture is of a native farmer who sold 'steam corn'. I have to do a little research to find out what it actually is. It looks like shriveled popcorn kernels. The farmer said you cook it for many hours and it is similar to pozole. I did buy a small bag and will tell you all about it at a later date.
Just for you information, I did not ride the pony's or this mechanical bull. What I did find was some local native food that was very interesting. I can highly recommend experiencing the Gallup Saturday Flea market. Bring some sunscreen and arrive early to avoid the heat.
