Refried Bean Recipe
I have a very great dish featuring the Chili Relleno that needs a traditional and excellent side dish of yummy refried beans that are a requirement for eating my relleno’s. Any traditional Mexican style chili relleno dish is not complete without a delicious siding of those refried pinto beans.
I’ve tried to use the canned version of these refried beans then added some additional ingredients; they taste ok but if you’re making the original and traditional Mexican relleno’s then traditional refried beans are in order. Do not worry this dish is quite easy to prepare.
You have the choice to use either use black or pinto beans to make authentic refried beans, Mexican style. The pinto bean type is usually the most common type used for the dish. Personally, this is my preference as well.
Canned pinto beans are ok to use for this recipe but if you’re using Mexican style to boil the dried pinto beans then your dish will taste better. Using dried pinto beans is better for this particular dish. If you’ll be soaking beans overnight, their cooking time will lessen but it isn’t really a needed step. If you just allow them to simmer and cook in your pot for a couple of hrs then you’ll get yummy tasting & tender beans to complement your dish.
Below are some steps to have that delicious tasting refried bean dish.
1) Be sure to wash beans thoroughly inside a colander or strainer.
2) Get 2 medium sized onions and chop them up well. Fry them using 3-4 tbsps of oil just until onions get browned and caramelized. The fried onions will add this really hearty flavor & taste to your dish.
3) Add beans to your saucepot filled with lots of water enough to completely cover these beans. Use your big pot because beans are going to grow big when you’re cooking them up. You could add water later on if needed.
4) Add to your pot your browned onions together with those oils that were used to caramelize them up. Add them to your pot then bring them to a boil gently.
5) For this particular step, you could choose to stir in salt or you could skip it. Salt will add that rich flavor into your dish but they can also prevent beans from getting soft & creamy, the choice is up to you.
6) Usually it takes beans 3-5 hrs for them to really get tenderized. One indication that they’ve cooked already is if their insides have that creamy feel & the chalky texture is already gone.
Simple Refried Bean Recipe
1 bag pinto beans
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon crushed hot pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
4 strips bacon, including grease
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or lard
First, sort beans. Be sure all pebbles and debris are removed from them before you eat them. A good way to do this is to dump two handfuls at 1 time onto a plate.
As each handful is cleared of debris, dump it into a colander to be rinsed. After beans are all been properly sorted and rinsed, put them into a clean and large kettle and add about three times more water as beans inside your kettle. Leave beans inside the water overnight.
When you wake up the very next day, drain your pinto beans, & place them into a crock pot. Add water. Beans should be submerged with about one inch of water over the top. (If needed, add additional water as beans cook.)
Cook beans on low for around four hours or until soft. The older the bean, the longer cooking time it needs. Add cumin, salt, crushed pepper and chili powder to your crock pot.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon, and crumble it into your skillet. Add chopped garlic and minced onion, then continue frying on low for several minutes.
Drain beans one spoonful at a time, and add them to your skillet. Mash beans as you add them. Use your potato masher, but do not worry about perfection. There should be texture to your bean dish, so leave some beans whole. Once you have all your pinto beans inside the skillet, add additional butter or lard. If beans are moist enough, however, do not add any additional grease.
Fry beans over a very low heat. Do not burn. If beans begin to stick, add 1 tablespoon or so of water or juice from pickled hot peppers. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
If you’re not planning on using all your homemade refried bean mixture in 1 or 2 days, freeze it in airtight containers. To prevent waste, freeze only enough for one meal in each container
Learn About Nutritious & Delicious Pinto Beans Recipes For A Great Meal
Food costs are rising fast nowadays and this presents a dilemma to the housemaker who is in charge of producing meals on a daily basis. The challenge to find good, nutritious and cheap meals would be the priority and one food item that embodies all these would be the very versatile pinto bean.
Pinto beans are the staple in lots of Mexican restos and lots of Mexican homes. Beans are cheap and very tasty & also have lots of good nutrients that are good for our body. These beans have folic acid, Vit. B6, iron, fibers, proteins and starch that would be great for your heart and your digestive tract.
Dried pinto beans can be bought the whole year round. They could also be bought canned or cooked already but canned beans are double in their price rather than dried beans. Average price of pinot beans is 1.25 USD for every pound so when you’re buying in bulk then you save more.
Cooked pinto beans can actually last for around 3 days if stored properly. 1 c of dried pintos could make 3 c of cooked pintos. Pinto beans are very versatile and good paied with lots of American & Mexican style dishes like tacos and enchiladas.
You could also have these pinto beans refried with some minced steak, chopped onions, a bit of milk, cumin, powdered red chili and some cheese.
Another option would be to cook some bean soup. This dish is great during the winter months. Below are some simple recipes which you could make in your home. These recipes just serve as guidelines though; you could tweak them by adding or subtracting ingredients depending on your liking.
Chorizo & Pinto Beans Stew
1/2 lb dried pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained (1 1/2 cups)
3 c chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/4 lb sweet chorizo
1/4 lb hot chorizo
1/4 c Classic Sofrito
One 2-ounce piece of smoked ham
1 med tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, halved
1 small celery rib, halved
1 onion (small), quartered
1 parsley sprig
1 oregano sprig
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lime wedges, for serving
In your medium saucepan, combine pinto beans together with your stock, chorizos, Classic Sofrito, ham, tomato, carrot, celery, onion, parsley and oregano and bring them to a boil. Simmer over low heat, skimming occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the chorizos; slice them 1/4 inch thick and return to your stew. Remove the carrot, coarsely chop it and return to your stew. Discard the parsley and oregano and season stew with salt and pepper. Serve the bean stew with some lime wedges.
Traditional Frijoles
8 c water
1 lb dried pinto beans, rinsed, drained, and sorted
4 ozs salt pork
1 med onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/4 tsps salt, divided
1 Serrano chili (optional)
Bring first 8 ingredients, 1/4 tsp. salt, and, if desired, serrano chile to a rolling boil on medium high heat inside a Dutch oven. Cover then cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat 3 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in remaining 1 tsp. salt. Remove and discard salt pork and chile before serving.
Refritos: Cook 4 cups Traditional Frijoles in 1 Tbsp. hot vegetable oil inside a big skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat, & mash beans using your potato masher as they cook, adding water if necessary to keep moist. Simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes. Prep: 5 min., Cook: 10 min. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Bountiful Black Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 pc of lemon (large); thinly-sliced
1/4 tsp of pepper (black); ground
1/4 c of lime juice
1 lb of black beans (dried)
Zest from 1 big lemon
2 pcs of onions (large); chopped finely
1 lb of carrots; skins removed & cut into cubes
Bunch of celery leaves; minced
Salt
4 qts of chicken broth
Instructions:
Put beans inside deep kitchen pot. Cover with water in order to soak all beans. Boil for five minutes then remove from fire. Drain.
Using a different kitchen pot, mix all the beans with the broth, carrots, celery and onions. Place in the zest of one lemon. Boil then lower down heat then simmer lid off until beans become tender.
Using a spoon that is slotted, scoop the bean mix through a blender then blitz to make a puree. Return puree into the kitchen pot and re-heat.
Season with pepper. Add more salt. Add the lemon juice. Pour onto serving cups. Good for three persons.
>> Bountiful Black Bean Soup Recipe
Beans & Eggs Recipe
Ingredients:
4 ozs of sausage links; diced
1/4 c of onion; chopped
1-2/3 c of beans
2 Tbsps of veggie oil
1/4 c of water
1/4 tsp of salt
1/8 tsp of pepper
1/4 c of catsup
1 tsp of Worcestershire
6 pcs of eggs; boiled
1/4 tsp of basil; crushed
Optional:
1 pc of avocado; sliced
1 pc of orange; peeled then sliced
Instructions:
Cook the sausage until brown and set aside; Heat oil in a pan then saute the onion then add catsup, sausage, seasonings, and water. Let it simmer for twenty minutes, covered.
Arrange the bean mixture on a platter; place the eggs, orange, and avocado on the side.
>> Beans & Eggs Recipe
Bean Dip Recipe I
Ingredients:
1/4 c of chilies (green);cut into cubes
1/4 c of tomato sauce (mild chili-flavored salsa, red or green)
4 pcs of onions (green); chopped
1/2 clove of garlic; chopped finely
1/2 tsps of cumin
1 can of refried beans (30 oz)
Cheese; grated
Instructions:
Combine (tomato) sauce, chilies, seasonings, and onions on a medium-sized saucepan; cook till the onions soften then add the beans. Cook (approximately 8 minutes). Serve cold or hot and garnish with cheese.
Note: Dip can also be used as fillings for burrito.
>> Bean Dip Recipe I
Rice And Beans Recipe
Ingredients:
1 c of water
8 oz of tomato sauce (2 cans)
1/2 c of pace sauce (thick ‘n chunky)
1-1/2 c of instant rice (uncooked, white)
1 c of kernel corn (frozen, whole)
1 c of chopped bell pepper (red)
500 g of ground beef (cooked); browned then drained
15 oz of beans (black, 1 can); rinsed then drained
Instructions:
Combine water and sauces in a large saucepan; let it boil. Add rice, corn, bell pepper, black beans, and ground beef.
Reduce the heat; cover then let it simmer for ten mins or till the rice has softened and cooked.
>> Bean and Rice Skillet Recipe
Black Bean Soup With Cilantro & Orange Recipe
Ingredients:
Zest from one pc of orange
1/4 c of cilantro (fresh); diced
2 pcs of carrots; cleaned & cut into cubes
2 pcs of leeks; cleaned & sliced into slivers
Freshly cracked black pepper
8 c of water
1 pc of onion; diced
2 Tbsps of seasoning (vegetable) or broth
2 c of black beans; washed & then drained
Instructions:
Prepare beans. Soak them inside a bowl of water overnight. Drain beans then place inside a kitchen pot with water then cook on low ’till tender. This should take up to three hours.
Season with pepper and salt. For the meantime, cook carrots, leeks and onions inside a separate pot with water ’till carrots become tender. This should take about thirty minutes.
As beans become tender, place about two cups of this mixture into a blender and blitz to get a smoother texture. Place mashed beans back in pot.
When carrots become tender, transfer into a blender to process to get a smooth mixture. Combine the carrot mixture and bean soup and simmer a few more minutes.
Garnish using the zest of one orange and cilantro prior to serving.
>> Black Bean Soup With Cilantro & Orange Recipe