Refried (or Not) Beans

I would've sworn that I'd already written this recipe up, but I can't find it anywhere on the blog, so I guess I forgot. I got the recipe off of the BudgetByte$ blog. In her version, she doesn't actually fry the beans. She just seasons them, slow cooks them, and then mashes them with a little of the cooking water. I've done it this way before and it works great. I didn't think they'd be as good without the lard, but it worked really well! That said, if you really wanna go for broke, you can make them her way and then also fry them up with some lard and a bit of extra onion. Both ways produce excellent results.

Not Refried Beans

Slightly adapted from Budget Byte$

Ingredients

• 450g dried pinto beans
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeño¹, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, bruised
• 1-2 tsp. chili powder
• 10-15 grinds black pepper
• 6 c. water
• 2-3 tsp. coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Combine beans, onion, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and water in a slow cooker or InstantPot. Do not add any salt yet!
2. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours.
3. Drain beans, reserving 1 c. of the cooking water.
4. Mash beans, adding some of the reserved cooking water to achieve the desired consistency. Make the beans a little wetter than you want them because they will thicken as they cool.
5. Add salt to taste.

Refried Beans

Ingredients

• 450g dried pinto beans
• 2 onions, chopped and divided
• 1 fresh jalapeño¹, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, bruised
• 1-2 tsp. chili powder
• 10-15 grinds black pepper
• 6 c. water
• 1/4 c. lard
• 2-3 tsp. coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Combine beans, 1 onion, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and water in a slow cooker or InstantPot. Do not add any salt yet!
2. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours.
3. Drain beans, reserving 1 c. of the cooking water.
4. Melt lard over medium heat. (Preferably in a large cast iron pan.
5. Add remaining onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown.
6. Add beans and reserved cooking water.
7. Mash beans and add salt to taste.
8. Cook until thickened but still slightly wetter than your ideal consistency. Beans will thicken as they cool.

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¹ For milder beans be sure to remove all the seeds and pith before chopping. For spicier beans leave the seeds and pith in. In a pinch you can substitute pickled jalapeño slices for the fresh, but fresh provides better flavour. ^Back