After making your own refried beans at home, you may find it difficult to return to the canned version. This recipe starts with high-quality dry pinto beans, which are initially simmered in water and later fried in lard with some of the bean cooking liquid, spices, and aromatics.
Refried Beans
After making your own refried beans at home, you may find it difficult to return to the canned version. This recipe starts with high-quality dry pinto beans, which are initially simmered in water and later fried in lard with some of the bean cooking liquid, spices, and aromatics.
Ingredients
- 16 oz pinto beans (soaked in water overnight)
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 3 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ cup lard (or rendered pork fat)
- 1 large white onion, small dice
- 1 serrano pepper, seeds & stems removed, finely minced
- 1 tsp dried chipotle pepper, or 2 tsp blended chipotle peppers in adobo
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Soak beans for 12 hours in cold water with ½ tsp baking soda and 1 Tbsp kosher salt.
- The beans will double in size after soaking up the liquid overnight, so use a bit more water than you think you may need.
- Drain the beans after they have soaked.
- Add beans to a pot or Dutch oven and cover with water.
- Add the garlic cloves and dried oregano and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cook beans for 90-120 minutes, or until beans are tender.
- In a large cast iron skillet or large saute pan, heat lard until hot.
- Add the onions and cook until the onions are translucent and just starting to take on some color.
- Stir in the minced serrano pepper and the chipotle pepper.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the beans from the cooking liquid and place them in with the lard and onions and serrano pepper in the saute pan.
- *Do not discard the cooking liquid at this stage.
- Partially mash about half of the beans and add ½ cup of your cooking liquid and stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook and stir your beans, adding more of the bean cooking liquid when the mixture gets too dry.
- Continue to cook until your beans have reached the desired mashed potato texture.
- Taste and carefully adjust seasoning with salt, until your beans taste perfect.
- If you prefer a looser refried bean consistency, add more of the bean cooking liquid.
- If you prefer a chunkier final product, only mash some of the beans.
- Serve hot, as a component in huevos rancheros or nachos!
Notes
These refried beans taste great reheated over the next few days.