Posted on 06/10/2019 5:40:36 AM PDT by vannrox
This is probably the easiest way to make a killer batch of refried beans without spending a couple hours cooking the beans.
If you want to read about cooking up some beans from scratch see our Frijoles de Olla post.
But this version starts with cooked beans — and you can get away with using a can of store-bought beans because you’re loading them up with authentic flavors.
Before we get to the recipe, it’s worth heading back in time to see what refried beans were like a few hundred years ago…
Pot beans get mashed up and cooked in some fat, most likely lard. Plus maybe a bit of seasoning.
You really don’t need much more than that for a satisfying batch of frijoles refritos, but if you bypass the lard like we’re doing today then you gain quite a bit by adding in some additional flavors. And note that the accepted term “refried” can be a little misleading; you’ll only need to cook them off once to make an authentic batch.
(Excerpt) Read more at mexicanplease.com ...
Lard is the key.
Bacon fat is much better.
There is a local restaurant that used to have the best enchiladas I’ve ever had. A big part of that was the re-fried beans and the rice sides. Since then though, they’ve either changed up their recipe, supplier, cook...something. For several years they were #1 by a wide margin, then in the blink of an eye they became an also-ran. A big part of that fall was whatever they did to the beans. Their enchiladas are still basically the same, still very good but... Proof that the sides can make or break the meal.
“Bacon fat is much better.”
That’s what I use. But only a bit of the beans start tasting like the fat. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Spinach Enchiladas
>
From Los Barrios the iconic San Antonio restaurant famous for enchiladas.
On the menu---a platter featuring five varieties to try them all.
ING ¼ cup olive oil 12 corn tortillas 1 ½ cups shredded queso or Jack cheese, 1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar, chp onion, 2 cups diced cooked chicken Sauce, 10-ounce box chp frozen spinach, cooked and drained, cup chicken broth 2 scallions ½ cup fresh green chiles cup sour cream or crema
METHOD Heat oil hot on med-high. Singly, dip tortillas into hot oil to soften; p/towel drain. Combine cheeses toss/ mix well. Reserve ½ c cheese. Fill centers w/ 2 ½ c cheese, onion, chicken. Roll up and place seam side down in baker. Cover w/ spinach. Pour on sauce, then rest cheese. Cover/bake 350 deg 30 min; sauce is bubbly.
SAUCE blender chix broth, scallions, chiles, and sour cream thoroughly.
bumpmark
Thank you for a great recipe. You definately gain more flavor by using dry beans, but cooking them can be a huge chore, although there are two options which make this easier. First, use pinto beans and a pressure cooker. The Breville pressure cooker is expensive, but produces precise repeatable results, and cooks the beans quickly. Second, use exotic Anasazi beans. They are like pintos, but do not require much cooking, going from dry to cooked in less than one-half hour. Remember to NEVER put salt in dry beans before cooking, or they won’t get soft. Put salt in after they are cooked.
Purchased lard or Manteca is not needed. Cook dried pintos in a stainless steel food processor an extra 30 minutes in broth and pork made from the last ham or pork roast cooked in the processor to get the pintos soft and mushy. Will be the best refritos you’ve ever tasted and without “retrying”.
I now live very near a large sanctuary city and the sad thing is, the Mexican restaurants are all lousy. With all the Hispanics living here, you’d think they’d figure out a way to have some good eating, but I guess not.
When I lived in the Detroit suburbs, there was a small chain, maybe four locations called El Charro. They simply set the bar too high.
We moved away ten years ago and whenever we go home, El Charro is always a destination. (I’ll be there around July 4 for dinner)
Salt can and should be added to dry beans before cooking. It improves flavor and doesn’t keep the beans from softening.
https://www.seriouseats.com/2018/03/how-to-cook-dried-beans.html
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/soaking-salting-dried-bean-myths-article
Also worth mentioning that presoaking is optional, although the beans will have more of a tendency to split their skins if not soaked first.
A friend from Mexico taught me how to make authentic refried beans. Add a ham hock to the water when you cook the beans, then try them in your oil of choice.
Using bacon grease gives the same smokey flavor which must be the key to good refried beans.
In west Texas, all the gay men eat at Dickie’s BBQ.
The Lesbians eat at Mr. Taco.
Acid, even small amounts keep beans from cooking. Basic like baking soda speeds cooking. If you soak your beans in water with a tablespoon of baking soda and then rinse before cooking you can cut 20 to 30% off of your cooking time. Tomato or any other kind of acid will keep the beans very firm. When making chili only add the tomato when your beans are almost ready. Adding the tomato will basically stop them from cooking much further. You are correct on salt.
Interesting point about acid — I didn’t know that.
Apparently cellulose doesn’t dissolve in an acid environment, so veggies will stay firm.
https://www.finecooking.com/article/more-than-just-a-sour-taste
Don’t you dare make frijoles refritos unless your name is Martinez or Gonzales or such. The Cultural Appropriation authorities will detect you through your smart phone and you will be SWATted and taken away.
I always got a kick out of the gals sitting at the dining room table with a huge bowl of the beans and picking out the bad ones prior to cooking them up.
Thanks for posting!
Bookmarked for future use.
The pozole looks easy enough.
Tonight’s dinner maybe.
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