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Refried Beans

Deborah
Full of flavour and comforting refried beans...enjoy as a side with any of your favourite Mexican dishes.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 to 6 as a side or more as a topping for tacos etc

Ingredients
  

  • 35g lard or vegetable oil (see Notes)
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 green jalapeno or serrano chilli finely chopped
  • 600g cooked black or pinto beans in their cooking liquor (see Notes) (bay leaf, onions etc removed - see separate Ingredients and Instructions for cooked beans below)
  • 0.5 tsp dried epazote (optional) or oregano
  • 0.5 tsp salt

Ingredients for cooked beans

  • 300g dried black turtle beans or pinto beans
  • 1 onion peeled and halved
  • 4 cloves garlic bashed with the heel of a knife
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Melt the lard in a frying pan and sweat the onion until it’s soft and golden. Add the garlic and chilli and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened.
  • Depending on how textured you like your refried beans, either use a potato masher to mash your beans in a bowl with the cooking liquid or whizz them with a blender or stick blender for a smoother result.
  • Add the beans to the pan with the fried onions and cook over a medium heat with the epazote or oregano and the salt until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. It’s better to keep it on the looser side as it will firm up considerably as it cools.
  • Serve immediately or cover well and use within a couple of days in dishes such as huevos motulenos and tacos.

Instructions for cooked beans

  • Rinse the beans very well and pick out any stones. Tip them into a large saucepan and cover with about 2 litres of water, then add the onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt, then bring to the boil.   Skim off any scum that rises to the top and continue to boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  • Turn the heat down and simmer the beans gently for up to an hour or until the beans are tender but not disintegrating.
  • Drain and reserve about 150ml of the cooking liquid to use for making the refried beans.

Notes

  • Lard vs oil – you can make refried beans with vegetable oil, but to get the best refried beans use lard!
  • Beans – check the packet, you may need to soak your beans overnight.  Note: 300g of dried beans turns into 600g once they're cooked.
  • This refried beans recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.

 

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Keyword black beans, black turtle beans, pinto beans, Rick Stein, The Road to Mexico, vegan, vegetarian