Frijoles refritos

I'm still caught in the clutches of my Mexican food jones.  For Tuesday night's dinner I used left over Dynamite chicken for very simple enchiladas, wrapped in good wheat tortillas made at a Mexican grocery in a nearby town.  Each tortilla often varies drastically in shape and size from the others in the package, but I enjoy that lack of precision. 

I've been thinking about frijoles refritos, or refried beans as most people know them, for some time now.  I grew up eating a lot of beans, both fresh and dried. The acme of beans in our family is freshly picked speckled butter beans, which are  impossible to find here in Northern California, so I grow them myself.  One of my mother's favorite comfort dishes was dried lima beans, cooked with salt pork and served over corn bread.  We ate a lot of them.  So, my first experience with refried beans was immediate pleasure.

Refried beans in restaurants are often criticized for being loaded with lard. For me, that's not always a bad thing, if it's good lard.  According to Food & Wine, lard is now becoming trendy. Good.  But, much as I love good lard, I steer away from large amounts of oil when I make my own beans. A good reliable recipe is Rick Bayless' version.  They taste very good, but aren't swimming in oil. 

The first step is to make frijoles de la olla, or simple boiled beans. When done, these beans are perfectly wonderful eaten as is, with fresh tortillas or corn bread.  The broth from the beans is excellent and will improve over several days.

But, the goal is refried beans. Only 2 tablespoons of oil is used for this part, which makes you feel rather virtuous as you mash away. Making your own beans means that you have control over how you want the texture of your beans.  I favor a rather chunky, rough texture, with a consistency like mashed potatoes. 

The beans do thicken up as they cool or if stored overnight in the fridge. But, they are easily thinned out with the wonderful bean broth.  Of course, the beans taste great as a dip for tortilla chips. Enjoy!      

 

 

From Rick Bayless' book, Mexico One Plate at a Time

Frijoles Refritos

For the Brothy Beans

1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dried beans (any color you wish from black to red, tan, white or speckled)

2 Tablespoons rich tasting pork lard (or even bacon drippings or fat rendered from chorizo sausage) or Vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 large sprig fresh epazote (optional but delicious - especially with black beans)

Salt


1. Preparing Simple Boiled Beans- Frijoles de la Olla.

Though beans in the United States are sold very clean, it's always a good idea to pour them out onto a baking sheet and sort through them, removing any little stones or debris you encounter; scoop the beans into a colander and rinse.

Pour the beans into a deep medium-large (4-6 quart) pot (preferably a heavy Dutch oven or Mexican earthenware olla). Measure in 2 1/2 quarts water, then remove any beans that float (they are the ones that are not fully formed). Add the fat or oil, onion and the optional epazote. Bring to a strong rolling boil, then reduce the heat (low to medium-low on most stoves) to keep the liquid at a very gentle simmer- any more than a slight rolling movement will cause the beans to break up during cooking. Set a cover slightly askew and gently simmer, adding water as needed to keep the liquid level roughly the same, until the beans are thoroughly tender, about 2 hours.

Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and simmer for 15 minutes longer to allow the salt to be absorbed, then taste and season with additional salt if you think you necessary. The beans are now ready to be served or to be mashed and fried for refritos.



Frijoles Refritos

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, lard, bacon or chorizo drippings

1 medium white onion chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

4 cups undrained, seasoned cooked beans, slightly warm

Salt, to taste

1/2 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco, queso anejo, pressed

salted farmers cheese, dry feta or Parmesan, for garnish

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute or so, then use a slotted spoon to scoop in about 1/4 of the beans, leaving most of the liquid behind. Mash the beans into a coarse puree.

Add another portion of the beans, mash them in, and continue until all the beans have been added and coarsely mashed.

Add about a cup of bean liquid or water and stir frequently over the heat until the beans are still a little soupy (they’ll thicken as they sit). Taste and season with salt if needed.

Yield: 6 servings

Comments

[Lisa]

Oh, yes! Thanks for the Rick Bayless recipe. I adore beans in all their many forms, too. Haven't made refried in eons; will have to try this recipe.

OK, first the hot dogs, then the nachos. What have you done to me?!

[TASNIM]

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!
nasty ppl!!!!!
this is sum disgustin food!!!
mexican my bum