A watercolour of a dark glossy mash of refried black beans with a thread of oil across the top
Generated with OpenAI gpt-image-1
Adapted from Frijoles refritos

Refried black beans

An established dish converted to shelf-stable ingredients. Every substitution is documented below.

How long it keeps

About 6 months, set by Vegetable oil (sunflower or rapeseed).

Indicative, for planning a build before you buy. The answer for a pack you already own is the best before date printed on it, and that only holds if it has been stored as the label says.

Serves
3
Burners
1
Pans
1
Water
0.1 L
Active
12 min
Total
15 min

Ingredients

“Refried” is a mistranslation of refritos, which means well fried rather than twice fried. That is the instruction: fry them properly, longer than feels necessary.

  1. Drain the beans but keep the liquid. You will need it.
  2. Oil, dried onion two minutes. Garlic, cumin and paprika for twenty seconds.
  3. Beans in. Fry them for a full four minutes before touching them with a masher, so the outsides break down and catch.
  4. Mash directly in the pan, adding the reserved bean liquid a spoon at a time until it is thick but not stiff.
  5. Keep frying and stirring for four minutes more. It will darken and start to pull away from the pan. That is the point at which it is done, not before.
  6. Salt and lemon juice off the heat.

Underfried beans taste of tinned beans. The colour change is the signal and it takes longer than most people give it.

Serves 3 on flatbread or with rice.

What this was adapted from

Frijoles refritos: the Mexican method of frying cooked beans in fat and mashing them in the pan

  • lard → olive oil

    Lard is traditional and carries the flavour. Olive oil is what this cupboard has, and it works, though the result is lighter and less savoury than the original.