Refried Beans recipe

As far as I'm concerned, no Mexican or Tex-Mex meal is complete without refried beans. While it's super easy to open a can to heat in the microwave or on the stove-top, hear me out for reasons to make your own from scratch. 

1. COST - You can make the equivalent of a can of refried beans that would cost a couple dollars (depending on where you live) for mere pennies. 

2. NO BPA-  BPA is lurking in the lining of most canned foods and can leach out into the food. While a few companies are taking steps to move away from the BPA linings, the easiest way to make sure you avoid it is to cook with fresh and non-processed foods.

3. KNOW YOUR INGREDIENTS - The refried beans I previously purchased listed "spice" as one of the ingredients, which my gluten-intolerant husband has to avoid since he's gotten sick so many times from unspecified spices. They also contained chemical preservatives, which I try to avoid.

4. FREEZER COOKING - It's easy to cook extra beans for future meals. One cup of dried beans = 3 cups of cooked beans. 

Here's how I make refried beans.

I purchase pinto beans from the bulk section of my local organic market. Lay the beans out and sort through them to make sure there are no discolored or shriveled beans, rocks, etc. Remember, one cup of dried beans yields 3 cups of cooked. It's like magic!

Once the beans are soft and the skins are breaking, drain your beans, but reserve about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. How much you use will vary with each batch, so don't worry if you don't use it all. It's better to add small amounts at a time since you can always add more, but if you add too much you risk having runny beans, and no one wants that! 

In a pot, cook finely chopped onion and garlic in a couple tablespoons of bacon grease or lard or oil of your choice. I will say that pork fat adds a great flavor that you will be missing if you go the oil route, but do as you wish.

Add the cooked beans and a little of the reserved cooking liquid (or fresh water) and mash with a potato masher. Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender.

You can either soak the beans overnight and cook them for less time or skip the soaking step and cook the beans longer. Since I chose to throw mine in the slow cooker in the morning, I skipped the soaking and let them cook longer. I'm lazy like that. 

Rinse your beans in a colander under running water, then throw them in the slow cooker on high with enough water to cover the beans by about two to three inches. If you don't have a slow cooker, this can be done on the stove top, but I haven't tried it so I won't pretend to know what I'm talking about. 

Cooking time will depend on your slow cooker and the amount of beans you're cooking; it could take anywhere from 4-8 hours.  I did about 5 hours on high. 

I don't stress about getting every sing bean mashed. I like a little bit of texture. Add salt and cumin (optional) to taste. You could also add some shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese at this point. I saved my cheese to top it with. 

Use your homemade refried beans to make burritos or as a side dish for any other Mexican dish and enjoy!