Mary and Brian's Recipes

Refried Beans
Category Mexican
Events:
Ingredients
▢1 pound dry pinto beans , about 2 cups ▢1 large onion , quartered ▢2 Tablespoons lard or oil ▢3 cloves garlic , minced ▢1-2 teaspoons salt , or more, to taste ▢¾ teaspoon ground cumin , or more, to taste ▢½ teaspoon oregano , or more, to taste
Method
Rinse pinto beans in a colander, removing any unwanted pebbles or pieces that may be in the bag. Add the beans to a large pot, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain soaked beans and return them to the pot. Add fresh water to cover the beans up to two inches above them. Add onion to the pot and a couple dashes of salt. Bring beans to a boil, cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Check the beans and if they’re not completely cooked after one hour, let them simmer a few minutes longer until they’re done. Drain the beans, removing the onion and reserving the bean broth water. In a large skillet (preferably an iron skillet), heat lard or oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir. Add the beans, cumin, oregano and ¼ cup of the bean broth. (You could also chop the reserved onion and add it to the pan). Cook, gently smashing the beans as they cook with a potato masher or fork. Continue stirring and mashing, adding additional bean broth as needed until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Taste and season with additional salt, cumin and oregano, as needed. Top with shredded cheese, if desired. Adaptions To use canned pinto beans: substitute 2 cans of pinto beans, drained but liquid reserved. Cheesy refried beans: Top your refried beans with Mexican cotija cheese or stir in your favorite shredded cheese. Refried black beans- substitute one pound of dry black beans. Add bell peppers- Finely chop bell pepper and sauté it with the garlic in step 7 of the recipe.
Notes
For Instant Pot Refried Beans: 1. Rinse beans. Rinse in a colander, removing any unwanted pieces that may be in the bag. 2. Add to Instant Pot. Add the beans, onion, and salt to the instant pot and fill the pot with about 7-8 cups of water. 3. Pressure cook. Turn valve to sealed and cook on high pressure/manual for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 25 minutes. Remove lid and test beans to make sure they are tender. 4. Sauté beans. Drain the beans, removing the onion and reserving ½ cup of the bean broth water. On SAUTE mode, add lard or oil. Once hot, add the garlic and stir. Add the beans, cumin, oregano and ¼ cup of the bean broth. (You could also chop the reserved onion and add it to the pan). 5. Mash. Cook, gently smashing the beans as they cook with a potato masher or fork. Continue stirring and mashing until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Add more bean broth liquid if necessary. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. 6. Serve. Top with shredded cheese, if desired. For Slow Cooker Refried Beans: 1. Combine Ingredients. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover with fresh water. 2. Cook on high for 8 hours, or overnight. 3. Drain. Drain the beans, removing the onion and reserving ½ cup of the bean broth water. 4. Sauté beans. Add lard or oil to aahot skilled. Add garlic, beans, cumin, oregano and ¼ cup of the bean broth. (You could also chop the reserved onion and add it to the pan). 5. Mash. Cook, gently smashing the beans as they cook with a potato masher or fork. Continue stirring and mashing until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Add more bean broth liquid if necessary. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. 6. Serve. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.
Rating: Unrated