Refried Beans

I never bothered making refried beans myself because it's so easy to just open a can.  But holy moly, these are so delicious and easy to make (if a bit time consuming).

After boiling the beans, garlic, and onion, I still had large pieces of onion in my bean broth. I strained many of these out, but it's ok (and flavorful) if you leave much of the onion in the beans for frying.

Refried Beans

Ingredients

1 lb pinto beans dried
5 cloves garlic smashed
1/2 onion quartered
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2-5 tablespoons lard or oil (I used bacon grease)

Directions

Sort through the beans to ensure that they are good and no rocks are mixed in.

Rinse with water in a strainer to clean. Or if soaking the beans, place in a medium size mixing bowl and cover completely with salted water. Let sit overnight. Strain the beans the next day after soaking.

Add the beans, smashed garlic, and onion to a large pot or pan. Pour the water in and add salt. Beans should be fully submerged in water.

Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and continue to simmer covered. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes, remove lid, stir, and continue to simmer covered an additional 30-60 minutes until the beans are softened and easily mashed.

Once the beans are soft, heat 2 tbsp lard or oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, carefully ladle the beans, garlic, and some of the bean broth into the skillet. Allow the beans to "fry" in the oil while mashing. Add more oil and bean broth as needed to get desired consistency to the beans.

Original link:

https://houseofyumm.com/homemade-refried-beans/