Recipe: Mor-Good Frijoles (aka traditional beans refried and otherwise

[rathbone]

It occurs to me that everyone know how to make beans...or perhaps they don't. This recipe is for traditional Mexican beans. I have noticed that a lot of Northerners associate flavors like cumin or chile powder with beans but traditionally - beans are a dish unto themselves. Other flavors are added later, after the beans are cooked they are used as a basis for other dishes. So hold onto your sombrero - this recipe is for a pot of Frijoles.

Sort and clean your beans. Remove any stones, dirt clumps and any beans that look old or odd -especially moldy looking beans.
Rinse them with water. Place them in a large pot and cover with water plus extra water- your beans are going to swell.
Heat the beans to boiling and then turn off the flame and let them sit - at least four hours but easily overnight.
Pour off the water, rinse under cold water and then fill the pot with cold clean water covering them plus an extra inch of water.
Heat to boiling and then turn down the flame so the beans are cooking on low.
Add a teaspoon (or more if you like) of salt. Add 4 dientes (cloves) of garlic (or more if you like - I like more). Add half a finely chopped onion if you like the flavor of onion.
*a delicious addition - hamhocks, bacon, saltpork etc.
Simmer beans for an hour - adding water if necessary but unlikely you will need it.
When the beans are quite soft - take a potato masher and mash just a bit of them. Cook 15 more minutes. These mashed beans will give the water a gravy-like consistency.
These are basic beans. Basic meaning you can now use them to make many other things.

Want refried beans?
In a large frypan, heat 2 - 3 T of oil (tradition calls for lard which tastes the best but choose which type of fat is right for you - we use olive oil)
Pour in two cups of beans with whatever broth comes with them.
Let the beans heat up in the oil.
Mash them with a bean masher.
If they look a bit dry - add a bit of the bean broth.
Remember - traditional refried beans are not stiff at all but actually a bit runny.

Want some zing in those refried beans?
Sautee sliced chiles in the oil before adding the beans.

Enjoy - and if you are feeling really tradicional...forgo the spoon and scoop them up with a corn tortilla.

 

[Britesea]

Thank you Rath. Your recipe for basic beans is exactly the same as mine But I've never actually made real frijoles. My crockpot black beans did taste pretty good, just not authentic.

 

[hoosier]

I had never heard of anyone else mashing some of the beans as my mom taught me. Others always look watery to me.

 

[framing fowl]

For the spicier beans, is that fresh chilies or dried? Or are they only called chilies when they're dried?

 

[freemotion]

My half-Puerto Rican SIL taught me how to make those.....SOOOOO good! I've tweaked the method to make it a bit more traditional and also because I sleep with dh (who loooooves beans) and had to make the beans non-gas-producing in self defense. So I soak them, raw and unheated, in water with whey (or vinegar if whey is not available) for 24 hours before proceeding. Sometimes I ferment the mashed beans, too. No more getting blown off the couch or out of the bed when I least expect it!

She also will saute more garlic and onions before adding the beans if a more flavorful bean paste is desired, when making the refried beans.

I have three half gallon jars of fermented bean paste in the fridge now, and dh has almost polished off one of them already.

I was a bean-hater all my life until my SIL introduced me to the REAL way to make beans!

 

[dragonlaurel]

Sounds good.

 

[calendula]

Thanks for the recipe. I love beans! I did try making refried beans once, but they were very dry. But, now I know to add some of the bean broth to moisten it up, so I'm going to try it again. My black beans are just about ready to be picked, and I'm really looking forward to eating fresh beans rather than the grocery store ones.

 

[Marianne]

Who's bringing the tortillas? Yum.

Thanks for posting this!

 

[i_am2bz]

Britesea - I must've missed your crockpot bean recipe, can you retype or send me the link?

Rath - I have one concern with bean recipes like yours...I try to read them with an eye toward if TSHTF, clean water & fuel may be at a premium, so to have to use a lot of water to rinse & boil, plus cook for a long period of time...have you tried this with canned beans? (please, don't hit me)

 

[Britesea]

no problem 2bz, here is the recipe. It's not traditional, but it tastes pretty good

1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dry black beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups water or add some broth

Directions
1. Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
2. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.