Championing Homemade Refried Beans

Whenever I dine at my favorite Mexican restaurant, I manage to draw quizzical stares from my servers. I perform this feat, time and again, by ordering a side of beans as my entree. By a country mile, the refried beans are the best item on the menu. I used to order full dinner plates, but I'd greedily slurp up all of the beans, and what remained would end up in a doggie bag. This restaurant's beans taste of love. They are made by hand.

It's important that refried beans be homemade, with love. Ok, you ask, why would I insisted that you spend the time to make refried beans at home, when you could no doubt buy a can of them for little over a dollar? First of all, the whole issue of BPA in cans is enough to scare me away from eating canned food very often. Secondly, homemade refried beans are a better value. But really, the best reason to make them at home is taste. Beans gently cooked with the subtle underpinnings of lard and onions are superior. They aren't an afterthought to a meal, or a side dish. They taste of beans, subtle and sweet, and have a unmatched silky texture.

Hang on a for a second while I swoon.

Sort and wash one pound of beans. In a glass bowl, add enough water to cover the beans by at least 3-4", and 1 tsp. salt. Let soak 8-12 hours (overnight is good). Drain the beans, rinse, and place them into a crock pot. Add one large diced onion, a few tablespoons of lard, and enough water to cover the beans by 1 1/2". Let the beans simmer on low for 6-8 hour, or until very tender.

In your largest skillet, heat 6 Tbsp. lard. Add a large diced onion, and cook until soft but not brown. Add 2-3 ladles full of beans (with some of their cooking liquid), and mash. Continue adding the beans, a few ladles at a time, then mash to your desired consistency. Let the beans cook over low heat until they form a loose paste, and become glossy. Season with salt to taste.

This recipe makes between 3-4 pints of beans. Normally, I don't like having glass in the freezer. But this is one food that I prefer to be frozen in jars. When vacuum sealed and frozen, refried beans keep very well.