Slow and Delicious Refried Beans

Here's the thing with refried beans. You have to keep it slow and simple. Good beans take time. If you need beans pronto, you're going to sacrifice the marriage of flavors. Allowing them to soak overnight and cook slowly also reduces their gassy effects.

My husband had a friend whose mother would make him delicious authentic Mexican bean burritos. When I asked what she put in them, she said nothing, yet my husband would rave about them. I decided to add a little more than nothing to my beans and only those flavors that would compliment the mighty pinto.

Slow and Delicious Refried Beans
2 lb pinto beans
8 C chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 TB canola oil
1 onion diced
2 jalapeños diced
2 tsp minced garlic
4 tsp salt
3 tsp pepper

1. Rinse, then soak the pinto beans overnight.
2. Rinse beans again, then add to a slow cooker with chicken broth and cumin. Set cooker to High.
3. Add oil, onion, jalapeños, garlic, and a pinch of cumin to a small fry pan. Roast until the onions have browned slightly.
4. Add browned onion, jalapenos, and garlic to the slow cooker and mix well.
5. Cook on high for at least 8 hours.
6. At the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper.
7. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to get your beans to a refried consistency. Some like them completely puréed, I prefer the firm bite of a few beans.
8. These beans can stand alone, or be paired with the Mexican dish of your choice. One of our favorite ways to eat them is to use them to make whole wheat bean and cheese quesadillas.

Here's the thing with refried beans. You have to keep it slow and simple. Good beans take time. If you need beans pronto, you're going to sacrifice the marriage of flavors. Allowing them to soak overnight and cook slowly also reduces their gassy effects.

My husband had a friend whose mother would make him delicious authentic Mexican bean burritos. When I asked what she put in them, she said nothing, yet my husband would rave about them. I decided to add a little more than nothing to my beans and only those flavors that would compliment the mighty pinto.

Slow and Delicious Refried Beans
2 lb pinto beans
8 C chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 TB canola oil
1 onion diced
2 jalapeños diced
2 tsp minced garlic
4 tsp salt
3 tsp pepper

1. Rinse, then soak the pinto beans overnight.
2. Rinse beans again, then add to a slow cooker with chicken broth and cumin. Set cooker to High.
3. Add oil, onion, jalapeños, garlic, and a pinch of cumin to a small fry pan. Roast until the onions have browned slightly.
4. Add browned onion, jalapenos, and garlic to the slow cooker and mix well.
5. Cook on high for at least 8 hours.
6. At the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper.
7. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to get your beans to a refried consistency. Some like them completely puréed, I prefer the firm bite of a few beans.
8. These beans can stand alone, or be paired with the Mexican dish of your choice. One of our favorite ways to eat them is to use them to make whole wheat bean and cheese quesadillas.