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.
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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.