BVR: Refried Beans

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Refried Beans

 

Recipe By : The Best Vegetarian Recipes, by Martha Rose Shulman, p. 185

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Beans And Legumes Side Dishes

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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Tasty Pot of Beaus

(see separate recipe)

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil -- up to 2

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons pure ground chili powder

Salt -- to taste

 

These have an important place in my repertoire. They are absolutely

delicious and never fail to impress guests. I serve them on nachos, as

part of a larger Mexican meal, and for everyday dinning as the filling or

topping for soft tacos or quesadillas. The beans are not really fried, as

they are traditionally in lard, but cooked down in their own broth,

resulting in an intense, savory dish. Use pintos or black beans for these;

black beans are my favorite. MAKES 6 SERVINGS.

 

1. Cook the beans as directed.

 

2. Drain off about 1 cup of liquid from the beans, retaining it in a

separate bowl to use later for moistening the beans, should they dry

out. Mash half the beans coarsely in a food processor or with a bean or

potato masher. Don't purée them, however. You want texture. Stir the

mashed beans back into the pot.

 

3. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy nonstick frying pan

over medium heat. Add the cumin and ground chile. Cook, stirring, for

about 1 minute, until the spices begin to sizzle and cook. Turn the heat

to medium-high and add the beans (this can be done in batches, in which

case, cook the spices in batches as well, using 1 tablespoon of oil for

each batch). Fry the beans, stirring and mashing often, until they thicken

and begin to get crusty on the bottom and aromatic. The broth should be

bubbling briskly. Stir up the crust each time it forms, and mix into the

beans. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often and mashing the beans

with the back of your spoon or a bean masher. The beans should be thick

but not dry. Add liquid you saved from the beans if they seem too dry, but

save some of the liquid for moistening the beans before you reheat them, if

you are serving them later. They will continue to dry out once you turn

off the heat. Taste the refried beans and adjust the salt, and serve.

 

4. Set aside in the pan if you are serving within a few hours. Otherwise,

transfer the beans to a lightly oiled baking dish and cover with foil.

 

Advance preparation: Refried beans will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator

and for several months in the freezer. Keep the liquid you retained in a

jar, so that you can moisten the beans before reheating (this keeps less

well, only a couple of days; use water if you need to throw out the

broth). The frijoles can be reheated in a nonstick pan or in a lightly

oiled baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and reheat for 30 minutes in a

325F oven. However, if you are storing the beans in the refrigerator in a

baking dish, cover first with plastic or waxed paper before you cover with

aluminum, so that the beans don't react with the aluminum. Remember to

remove the plastic before reheating.

 

QUICK REFRIED BEANS: Although canned beans never taste as good as the beans

you cook with lots of onion, garlic, and herbs, they are suitable for

making refried beans in a hurry. For 2 cups of refried beans you will need

two 15-ounce cans black beans or pinto beans (four cans yields the same

amount as this recipe). Do not drain off the liquid, or even purée the

beans. Heat the oil and fry the spices as directed. Pour in the beans

with their liquid, and mash with a bean masher or the back of a large

wooden spoon, right in the pan. Cook, stirring, exactly as instructed for

the refried beans above. There is less liquid in a can of beans than you

get when you cook them, so you will have to add water as the refried canned

beans will dry out considerably.

 

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