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| Homemade refried beans topped with cheddar cheese |
I must say that one time, and I mean one time only, I bought a can of prepared refried beans. They were dense so I doctored them up a bit: They passed, but holy cow, never again.
The taste of homemade beans cannot be beat, and a bag of pinto beans is pennies, merely pennies.
Open the package and wash well. Even today's clean cooking foods need a bath, especially dried foods such as pinto beans.
You want to make sure there are no tiny stones or unsavory pieces mixed in with the raw beans. Sort the bad from the good. Put the good beans in a colander after sorting out any non-food pieces, and rinse well.
Mom's Homemade Refried Beans
Basic Ingredients:
Dry pinto beans (1 lb. bag)
Bacon (1 lb. package)
2 to 3 Yellow onions
Salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper
Cumin (optional)
Chili powder (optional)
Minced garlic
Lots of Cheddar cheese
Chicken stock (possibly)
I soak the the dried pinto beans overnight in the same pot I intend to cook them in, but soaking is not necessary. I am sure that the beans cook faster when soaked overnight first, but that's not the reason I soak them. I just do it because that's the way I've always done it, and I want to infuse flavors before the cook starts.
The beans are so much better when the soaking pinto beans absorb some flavors. To the soaking pot, add bacon, onions, garlic and a few spices to accomplish this.
What to Do
Put the rinsed and drained beans in a large stock pot. I use a 12-quart stock pot because it gives the beans plenty of room to steam as well as cook.
Put the rinsed and drained beans in a large stock pot. I use a 12-quart stock pot because it gives the beans plenty of room to steam as well as cook.
Add water to the pot until the water covers the beans plus about 2 inches. Don't overfill the pot with water. Bring to boil.
While the pot of beans is coming to a boil, prepare the next ingredients. You add these to the pot after it comes to a boil.
In the Boiling Pot
3 to 5 strips of bacon (maple flavored is good)
2 medium yellow onions, chopped (not too finely)
3 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
After adding these ingredients, stir well and reduce the temperature to medium heat. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours, stirring now and then to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add more liquid, if needed. Start with 1/2 cup chicken stock.
If more than about a cup of water evaporates during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
After 6 hours of cooking, test the doneness of the beans. If the beans are still hard in the center after testing for doneness, the heat is too low. Adjust the time and temperature of the heat as needed.
Test for Doneness
Spoon out one or two of the beans and squash with your finger or the back of a spoon. If the bean squashes easily, the beans are done. To be sure, pop it in your mouth.
Taste will tell. You want to avoid tasting that hard center of the dry bean. It is similar when cooking rice. You do not want a bean that is not cooked through to the very center.
This is a key step in making homemade refried beans that taste as good as any 5-star restaurant. It is a really important test. I've been hasty with the doneness, and regretted it later. Keep cooking until they taste completely tender and done. You want beans to be very tender.
Mash Beans
When the beans are done, remove the pot from the heat. If the liquid looks sparse, add 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Stir well. Get out your potato masher, and mash beans leaving some beans still whole. The beans should look like a rich soup, but not too thick in consistency.
Ready to Eat
At this point, you can actually serve up a bowl of beans as is, add some salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese and chopped chive onions, a few slices of jalapeno pepper, and enjoy with a warmed tortilla.
Tip: Store half in the freezer in serving size containers. You can then thaw just the right amount, serve or fry the beans as desired.
Fried Beans
To eat mom's delicious homemade fried beans, you simply fry the beans. The beans should end up with a creamy consistency. 
Get out your cast-iron skillet, and add a scoop of Crisco. For tasty results, substitute Crisco for bacon fat drippings. Heat oil to hot. Add 2 or 3 ladles of the mashed beans to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Quick stir and fry for two to three minutes. Beans will thicken as they fry.
Serve with Spanish rice, some sliced chicken, a couple of flour tortillas, and a side of salsa.
But... they are ever so good when fried again.
Layer: To finish your beans, move the first frying pan full of beans to another pot or covered baking dish, and add salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder to taste. Evenly place small cubes of cheddar cheese on top in a loosely scattered pattern (it melts as you continue layering the beans). Do not stir. Repeat, until all the beans in the stock pot are first fried and removed to the layered dish. Serve or store, as desired.
Refried Beans
Now for the re-frying part of mom's homemade refried beans. It should be noted that most people believe that the "fried beans" are "refried beans" because in Mexico, the "re" is only added for emphasis, and does not actually mean to "fry again." But unless you eat all the beans in one serving, you must refry anyway: And they taste oh so much better when fried the second time. So, I just re-fry from the start.
Now, that that's explained, when you are ready to serve your homemade beans, you want to refry them. Start with your frying pan and really good hot pads or mitts.
Cut 6 slices of bacon into quarters and fry them in a deep cast-iron skillet on medium heat until crispy and all the fat is rendered.
Remove cooked bacon pieces from the pan (save them to use as a garnish when serving the refried beans).
If you are refrying the beans right away, carefully place 3 to 4 scoops of the layered beans into the hot bacon drippings. Reduce heat to medium. Quickly stir for 3 to 5 minutes using a wooden spatula to fold the beans over on each other. Add grated cheese. Stir and remove to your serving dish. Repeat, if needed.
If you are refrying the beans after storing them in the refrigerator or freezer, you need to thaw and let the beans come to room temperature. Be careful as they may spit and splatter when you add them to the hot bacon drippings, especially if the beans are refrigerator cold.
Offer garnishes: Grated mild cheddar cheese (favorite), Monterrey Jack, and Mozzarella cheese; chopped yellow onions, chopped chives, sliced jalapenos, bacon bits, avocado pieces or guacamole, corn chips, salsa and a plate of piping hot corn or flour tortillas.
You can also crumble "fresh cheese" otherwise known as Queso Fresco cheese, on top of beans to add appeal. I use ricotta cheese to accomplish the same look, and it tastes so good.
Serves 12-16
Beans are so yummy, I've served this Mexican side dish at Christmas time for years and years with rice and enchiladas.
Freeze the Beans! Mom's homemade refried beans can be made ahead and frozen either in the soup stage or when refried. That's the best part. These beans may take a bit of time and trouble to make them following my recipe, but they are worth it.
How to Serve? They are mouthwatering as a side dish served with Spanish rice, tacos, enchiladas, tamales, taquitos, fajitas, steak and eggs, or as an ingredient in burritos, quesadillas, and nachos. A big bowl of beans served with a jalapeno corn bread muffin wakes up a sunny morning with birds singing the hello song.
This is a heritage recipe that can be enjoyed by anyone who loves flavorful food. Beans are good as a soup, fried, refried and used as a dip with chips. Yum!
That's it for today, blog.