Refried Beans

[anotherDan]

I love frijoles refritos. If a Mexican restaurant doesn't have good refried beans, I don't return. We never had much "luck" making them at home, and canned just doesn't get it. So, after a little research online, I made my first GOOD batch of frijoles refritos today. It tastes moi authentico, even though I used bacon instead of lard or salt pork. Here's what I did.

soaked a pound of pinto beans overnight, and changed the water a couple of times

simmered them until tender

chopped a third of a pound of bacon, raw, into little pieces, and fried them up crispy in a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan. (Cast iron is traditional, but I'm not in my kitchen. Chopping the bacon first allows for one to stir it with a spatula, without turning the bacon a bunch of times to get the stubborn uncooked fatty parts which are curled up... works great)

chopped a large Spanish onion (regular yellow.... not "sweet"), removed the bacon bits, and carmelized half of the onion in the bacon grease, then added a teaspoon of chopped fresh garlic to the pan for another minute or so, and then poured in some of the bean juice on top to deglaze the pan, then added the drained beans, some cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and chili powder

When you drain the beans, reserve the juice.

Yes, the fat stays in. Sounds awful. Tastes great.

you can used a potato masher, but I used an electric mixer to break up the beans... works great... add only enough of the reserved bean juice to make it a little soupy

then I turned the heat way down and let it set up for maybe an hour... no stirring

You may have to experiment. You don't want to burn the bottom, but it should get a light brown crust on the bottom, which is delicious. You might need to put one of those cast iron plates under the pot... depends on your pot and your stove... the mass will rise up in big bubbles, and the whole mixture will stiffen somewhat to that texture we adore

heated up some flour tortillas, spread some on, then the remainder of the chopped raw onion, and little cheese and salsa, and enjoyed

Hope you will, too

Two links of interest:

Wikipedia Entry

Homesick Texan

Edited August 16, 2008 by anotherDan

[Ron G.]

That's exactly how I do it except for one detail...cumin. Ya gotta add cumin. I use lots of it, maybe too much, but it's a necessity.

[anotherDan]

Yup. I bet that's good, Ron. In Mexico, they often use an herb called epazote, especially if black beans are used instead of pintos.

Here's a picture I took heading South from Mulege, Baja Sur, MX, last year around Thanksgiving:

anotherDan at a roadside taqueria somewhere south of Ensenada

Edited August 16, 2008 by anotherDan

[Mister P-Mosh]

I'll talk to my wife, but there is a healthier way to make them as well, if you don't want pork/lard in them. She makes them fat free and they're great.

Also, I should probably post recipes for machaca con juevo (shredded beef jerky scrambled in eggs) and ceviche (raw fish with lime juice in basically pico de gallo) since they are really good traditional Mexican dishes that most people may not have tried.

[anotherDan]

P-mosh, yeah, do post those recipes!

As for the frijoles, forget it! Yeah, you can make them with vegetable oil, but they are never as "good" (tasting), IMO.

[RumRunner]

Also, I should probably post recipes for machaca con juevo (shredded beef jerky scrambled in eggs) and ceviche (raw fish with lime juice in basically pico de gallo) since they are really good traditional Mexican dishes that most people may not have tried.

Both are fine dishes - please post your wife's recipe for ceviche - goodness I could eat that 7 days a week.

[Tom Strange]

she who must be obeyed is Mexican... she rarely orders much when we go to "mexican restaurants" as it's just not authentic enough for her...

however... she will order the ceviche every time... I still have a hard time figuring out how the limes 'cook' the fish but then the closest I ever got to chemistry was when I took acid...

[fellowshipper]

Another Dan,

Thanks for the recipe on making a real homemade burrito.

I live down under in Aussie land and they just don't know the real deal on burritos.

Only restaurants that don't cut the mustard on that rich taste only made at home.

Here they call pinto beans "Barlotti beans". What the?

Everytime I make a batch the skippies (Australians) ask can I have some more.

I even make up 15 at a time and give them to this one girl at work. Handling fees apply.

Thanks again

[leafytwiglet]

Ahhh Refries... I love refried beans

excellent recipe.