Kathy Pitts Frijoles Refritos (refried Beans Recipe
Yield: 1 BatchRecipe by luhu.jp
Ingredients:
2 cup: Beans, well washed and picked over
1 large: Onion, finely chopped
1 small: Dried red chile pepper crushed,
6 cup: Water or ham broth. Up to 1 cup may be beer,
1 tsp: Ground cumin,
1 tbsp: Mexican oregano,
Lard/drippings for frying,
Grated mild cheddar,
Cheese for garnish, optl
Directions:
Do not soak the beans overnight (Mexican cooks dont).
Instead, place all ingredients in a deep pot, and
bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and allow
the beans to sit for an hour.
Return the beans to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer
until the beans are tender (to test, remove one bean
from the pot, and blow on it. If the skin splits,
theyre done). Cooking time will depend on the type
of bean used (pintos cook fairly quickly, black beans
take close to forever), the age of the bean, and the
mineral content of your water.
Salt to taste. Never salt beans at the beginning of
the cooking process, as the salt will toughen them and
they will take longer to cook.
In a large shallow pan, preferably a black iron frying
pan, melt 3 Tbsp. of lard or drippings. When the lard
is melted, ladle about a cup of beans, including some
of the cooking liquid, into the fat. Use a potato
masher to mash the beans into a puree. Continue
adding beans and liquid, along with more fat as
needed, and mashing until all beans have been used.
The consistancy of this dish varies with personal
preferance. Some cooks like a very smooth, almost
liquid puree, while other prefer a stiffer mixture
with some pieces of bean remaining. The end result
should be glossy, well flavored from the fat, and very
rich tasting.
The beans may be served plain, used as a filling for
warm tortillas, or garnished with shredded cheese.
A bean and cheese taco (refried beans, shredded cheese
in a fresh tortilla) is one of my favorite things to
have for breakfast. They are also good served as an
accompaniment for scrambled eggs.
NOTE: Some Mexican recipes for beans call for a sprig
of Epasote (ep- puh-ZOH-tay) to be cooked with the
beans. This is an herb/weed known as Pigweed in the
U.S. It doesnt dry well, but it is very easy to grow
(U.S. farmers consider it a pest). If you can get
ahold of a plant, its worth cultivating, as it adds a
nice, if undefinable flavor to the bean pot. It is not
common in Tex-Mex beans, however, so if you encounter
it in a recipe, feel free to omit it.
Kathy in Bryan, TX
Source from luhu.jp
Instead, place all ingredients in a deep pot, and
bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and allow
the beans to sit for an hour.
Return the beans to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer
until the beans are tender (to test, remove one bean
from the pot, and blow on it. If the skin splits,
theyre done). Cooking time will depend on the type
of bean used (pintos cook fairly quickly, black beans
take close to forever), the age of the bean, and the
mineral content of your water.
Salt to taste. Never salt beans at the beginning of
the cooking process, as the salt will toughen them and
they will take longer to cook.
In a large shallow pan, preferably a black iron frying
pan, melt 3 Tbsp. of lard or drippings. When the lard
is melted, ladle about a cup of beans, including some
of the cooking liquid, into the fat. Use a potato
masher to mash the beans into a puree. Continue
adding beans and liquid, along with more fat as
needed, and mashing until all beans have been used.
The consistancy of this dish varies with personal
preferance. Some cooks like a very smooth, almost
liquid puree, while other prefer a stiffer mixture
with some pieces of bean remaining. The end result
should be glossy, well flavored from the fat, and very
rich tasting.
The beans may be served plain, used as a filling for
warm tortillas, or garnished with shredded cheese.
A bean and cheese taco (refried beans, shredded cheese
in a fresh tortilla) is one of my favorite things to
have for breakfast. They are also good served as an
accompaniment for scrambled eggs.
NOTE: Some Mexican recipes for beans call for a sprig
of Epasote (ep- puh-ZOH-tay) to be cooked with the
beans. This is an herb/weed known as Pigweed in the
U.S. It doesnt dry well, but it is very easy to grow
(U.S. farmers consider it a pest). If you can get
ahold of a plant, its worth cultivating, as it adds a
nice, if undefinable flavor to the bean pot. It is not
common in Tex-Mex beans, however, so if you encounter
it in a recipe, feel free to omit it.
Kathy in Bryan, TX
Source from luhu.jp