Simple, cheap and satisfying: homemade refried beans.

M

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
I used a cryo-packed 5 pound bone-in pork shoulder to make carnitas yesterday. I always strain and de-fat the broth I cook the pork in and use it as a base for albondigas soup.

Today I used the fat I skimmed to make refried beans. They came out quite good, so I want to share what I did. (Keep in mind that pork lard has 1/2 the saturated fat of butter.)

2 14.5 oz cans of pinto beans (not the prepared refried pintos, just cans of beans)

3 tbsp. (approx.) lard from carnitas broth

1 smallish clove of garlic, peeled and pressed

1/2 tsp. knorr chicken bouillon (granulated)

Lawry's Seasoned Salt, to taste

Drain the liquid from one can of pinto beans. Heat a skillet to quite hot and add the lard. When it has melted and come up to temp, add the garlic and stir. Before the garlic browns, empty the drained can of beans into the skillet, along with the undrained can, liquid and all. It will splatter. Be careful.

Stir until beans are bubbly and hot.

Using a potato masher, mash the beans to the consistency you prefer, stirring occasionally. Allow to bubble for a couple of minutes.

Add the bouillon and stir to mix. Taste. Add Seasoned Salt if needed, or a little water to achieve the consistency you prefer.

So good.

Trick I learned from a friend: For extra creamy beans, add a few heaping tablespoons (1/2 cup?) of small curd cottage cheese while the beans are at the final stage of cooking. Stir well. The cottage cheese will melt into the beans. Remove from heat.

So gooder.

Michael

Michael

 
Looks easy and tasty. Thanks Michael. I'll never forget the first time

I saw someone make refried beans. We had been living in ABQ for a year and I'd gotten used to the restaurant "constant side with red rice" version, lightly sprinkled with cheese. I loved them.

But I had Molly Katzen's "Moosewood Cookbook" and wanted to try her vegetarian version. We were having friends over for dinner and I had all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go (had I known this was called mis en place back then I probably still wouldn't have called it that.)

One of our dinner guests was from Hondorus and asked to help. I told her she could make the refried beans and pointed out the vegetarian ingredients.

She looked at me like I WAS LOCO CRAZY, then asked where the lard was. I had none so she grabbed the can of Crisco and proceeded to scoop HALF the can into the pan. Just a BIG OLD BLOB of melting popping grease. Then she took the beans and mashed them in. There was more Crisco than beans. And that was it. No flavoring. No seasonings. No sauteed vegetables. Nada.

Good Lord, it was boring. And greasy.

http://ladymondegreen.com/batya/refritos.html

 
Cut story and reminds me that one must be careful when talking with a person from another country...

We had a German couple visiting us once. They barely spoke English but enough for us to have a pleasant week end visit. The first morning they were here, I complimented the lady when she walked into my kitchen, telling her how nice she smelled and how pretty her red high heel shoes were. She was tickled and told me thank you with a huge smile on her face. A few minutes later she hands me a deodorant container and her pretty red shoes saying it is customary in her country to give the person who compliments you a gift of what they were complimented on. OK, but her shoe size was 5 1/2 and mine was 9. I graciously took the deodorant and the shoes!

 
Marilyn, the carnitas lard is flavored with cumin, oregano, onions, coriander and bay leaves...

...so it added an amazing depth without having any visible veggies in the finished dish.

I cook pinto bean soup with those veggies, but not refried beans.

I've watched Mexican cooks make refrieds here many times. The amount of lard is different from cook to cook.

Just as a side note, some authentic carnitas recipes call for the pork to be simmered in oil instead of broth. It isn't deep fried, since the oil barely simmers, and it is left at a simmer for an hour or so. Talk about OILY.

Michael

 
Oh my! I had never heard this before, but the other German couple who came with our guests

were very good friends, and the lady was Matron of Honor at our wedding.. She assured me that was the case and I should accept the shoes and deoderant so as not to offend our guest couple. The other interesting thing about them was they were facinated with the Americans facination with ice or cold drinks. They were not used to cold beer or ice in their sodas. Mind you this was about thirty years ago.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top