You’re Doing It Wrong: Refried Beans
Juliana Jiménez Jaramillo for Slate
If you are having a Cinco de Mayo party this weekend, you have no doubt already bought the avocadoes for your guacamole. Perhaps you’re planning on impressing your guests with homemade fish tacos or tamales, or maybe you’re sticking to basics like quesadillas with pico de gallo. Either way, you probably see the Americanized Mexican holiday as an opportunity to show off your Americanized Mexican cooking skills.
L.V. Anderson
But there is one humble staple dish that you are probably not
planning to make from scratch, even though the homemade version takes
almost as little time to prepare as the canned version. I’m talking
about refried beans, the name of which is a mistranslation from the
Spanish: Refritos means well-fried, not refried, and refried beans are in truth fried only once.
Even to say that they are fried seems like an exaggeration of how
complicated they are. Making refried beans from scratch involves
stirring and mashing—that’s it. You simply cook some chopped onion in a
decent amount of oil (or, if you’re a traditionalist and a
non-vegetarian, lard), add some spices, and then mash in some beans. If
you’re really lazy (or if you don’t have a decent potato masher), you
can use an immersion blender to process the beans. Once you’ve made
refried beans from scratch—a process that takes 20 minutes tops (if you
start with cooked beans) and uses cheap ingredients you probably already
have on hand—the premade version seems like a major scam.
You can turn any type of bean into refritos; I’m partial to the
customary pinto, which with their mild flavor and creamy texture lend
themselves well to a rough purée. You should start with dried beans if
you have a few hours to spare for boiling, but canned beans are
fine—sometimes, canned beans’ soft texture is a drawback, but when
you’re mashing, it’s an advantage. (Figure that two 15-ounce cans will
yield about 3 cups of drained beans.)
Perhaps because of their unexciting appearance, refried beans are
usually relegated to the side of the plate, a culinary afterthought, the
Jack Antonoff to yellow rice's Nate Ruess.
But when Cinco de Mayo has passed and you’re looking for a quick,
cheap, healthy, comforting weeknight dinner, look no further than a bowl
of refried beans, maybe topped with a little sour cream or cheese,
served alongside warm corn tortillas.
Refried Beans
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes
¼ cup canola or grapeseed oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups drained cooked pinto beans, cooking liquid reserved
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups drained cooked pinto beans, cooking liquid reserved
1. Put the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot,
add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until it’s soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the
cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper, and cook, stirring, until
fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add the beans to the pot, along with a few tablespoons of their
cooking liquid (or water) if they’re very dry. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the beans are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn
off the heat and mash with a potato masher or partially purée with an
immersion blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve hot or
warm. (Store leftover refried beans in an airtight container in the
refrigerator for up to several days.)
Previously in You’re Doing It Wrong:
Enchiladas
Fish Tacos
Salsa
Quesadillas
Guacamole
Tamales
Chili
Enchiladas
Fish Tacos
Salsa
Quesadillas
Guacamole
Tamales
Chili
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