Refried Pinto Beans

By:

Mary Sue Milliken

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Updated:

2016-03-26 22:49:23

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With their dollop of richness from lard or other fat, refried beans satisfy the universal need to feel full and happy. Though refried black beans are fashionable these days, it’s hard to beat big, creamy, crushed refried pintos.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours

Yield: 4 servings

2 cups dried pinto beans

8 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup lard or vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Wash the pinto beans in a colander under the sink.
Spread the beans out on a cookie sheet or counter.
Pull out and discard any stray dirt, stones, or shriveled beans.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Add the beans.
Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook, skimming foam from the top occasionally, approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

To test for doneness, taste three or four of the smaller beans. They should be cooked through and creamy inside.
Mash the beans, along with the liquid in the pot, with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon until creamy.
Dice the onion.
Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Sauté the onion with the salt and pepper until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Add the mashed beans and cook, stirring occasionally.

Cook until the liquid evaporates and the beans form a mass that pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.

About This Article

About the book author:

Mary Sue Milliken may be “a gringa from the Midwest,” but she fell deeply in love with Mexican food when first introduced to it more than 20 years ago. She and fellow chef Susan Feniger became friends in the late ’70s while working in the otherwise all-male kitchen of a prestigious French restaurant in Chicago called Le Perroquet. After honing their skills in fine restaurants in France and America, they opened their first restaurant, the highly celebrated City Café, in Los Angeles in 1981. These days, they divide their time between their three restaurants, Border Grills in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, and the upscale Ciudad in downtown Los Angeles. They also have authored five previous cookbooks, including Mexican Cooking For Dummies, host the popular Television Food Network series, Too Hot Tamales, and are heard regularly on Southern California radio.

Susan Feniger may be “ a gringa from the Midwest,” but she fell deeply in love with Mexican food when first introduced to it more than 20 years ago. She and fellow chef Mary Sue Milliken became friends in the late ’70s while working in the otherwise all-male kitchen of a prestigious French restaurant in Chicago called Le Perroquet. After honing their skills in fine restaurants in France and America, they opened their first restaurant, the highly celebrated City Café, in Los Angeles in 1981. These days, they divide their time between their three restaurants, Border Grills in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, and the upscale Ciudad in downtown Los Angeles. They also have authored five previous cookbooks, including Mexican Cooking For Dummies, host the popular Television Food Network series, Too Hot Tamales, and are heard regularly on Southern California radio.

Helene Siegel is the co-author of City Cuisine, Mesa Mexicana, Cooking with the Too Hot Tamales, and Mexican Cooking For Dummies. She also is the author of The Ethnic Kitchen series and 32 single subject cookbooks in the best-selling Totally Cookbook series. Her articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Times Syndicate, Fine Cooking, and on the Web at cuisinenet.com.

This article can be found in the category:

Mexican Recipes