You may have caught a pattern over the last few months. I made homemade Queso Fresco that I put on some tacos, which inspired me to make my own refried beans, which inspired me to make my own tortillas. Yes, that is backwards of the recipe release order, but I wanted to give you all the options to make it from scratch from start to finish!
Refried beans from soaking your own to plating it on a tortilla is a gamechanger. No more cans for me, this is worth the effort, tenfold.
REFRIED BEANS
for BC Living
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups dry pinto beans (you can also use black beans if you prefer them!)
- water
- 2 tbsp lard, oil, or bacon fat
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- salt
- fresh epazote (fresh oregano if you can’t find, I located dried epazote and used that)
- optional: ½ tsp cumin, oregano
INSTRUCTIONS
To make your own Queso Fresco – follow this recipe.
and
To make your own Tortillas – follow this recipe.
Rinse your beans, remove any unwanted pieces or debris, and place in a pot or bowl, cover with water, cover and soak overnight.
(You can also do a faster cooking method by soaking in boiling water for a while first, but I find the overnight soak is the best).
Drain the beans and return to the pot. Add enough water to leave two inches above the beans.
Peel and quarter the onion and add to the pot with the beans. Also add in the fresh herbs (or a bundle of the dried ones), and a pinch or two of salt. (You can also add in cloves of garlic here.)
Bring this to a boil, and then cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for an hour, giving it an occasional stir. After an hour, check the beans to see if they are cooked, and if not, continue to cook them, checking frequently until they are very tender.
Making sure to retain the bean-water, drain the beans, removing the onion and herbs.
In a large (make sure there is lots of room) skillet or cast-iron pan, heat the lard/bacon fat or oil (oil to make it vegan) until shimmering – over medium-high heat.
Add in the garlic, and cook for a minute, then add the spices, and beans. If so desired, you can also chop some of the onion and add it in here as well.
Cook in the pan, stirring and smashing as you go (a potato masher would be helpful here – or a fork).
Add the bean water as needed until you get a texture that you desire. If you prefer a very smooth refried bean, you can also use an immersion blender once you’re done cooking.
Taste the beans for seasoning, adding more salt, cumin, oregano etc. as desired.
Keep warm and serve on tortillas with your desired toppings. (I made a lime crema, and added some cilantro and the queso fresco.)
Enjoy!
