Creamy and Dreamy Refried Beans
One Christmas morning years ago, I was making huevos rancheros when the most unbelievable thing happened. I opened two cans of beans and emptied them with their liquid into a pan, warming them up over medium-low heat. Then, I left the beans unattended while making the eggs. And when I came back to the beans, they had turned from whole to all broken up. A light bulb went off—this would became my secret in making refried beans. So, for a time, I made respectable refried beans by mashing them with the liquid from the can and seasoning them with cumin and red pepper flakes, my key spices. However, it all came together this week after I cooked some hickory-smoked bacon and used the drippings to flavor my beans. The combo of bacon grease, beans, cumin, and red pepper flakes is a flavor equation made in heaven. Try it for yourself and you’ll see why!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup drippings from hickory-smoked bacon
- 2 x 15 oz. cans pinto beans
- 1 t. ground cumin
- ½ t. red pepper flakes for spicy beans, use less if you’re heat sensitive
Directions
- Step 1 First, heat the bacon grease in a nonstick skillet, like 10-12 inches, over medium-high heat. If it’s in solid form, wait until the grease melts.
- Step 2 Second, open the 2 cans of beans and empty them with their liquid in the skillet with the bacon grease. Then, lower the heat to medium or medium-low and use your instrument of choice to mash the beans while they heat. I use the back of a rubber spoon. Work fast and watch the liquid. You don’t want all of it to absorb since the beans should be like the consistency of heavy whipping cream. Also, the beans will thicken when stored in the fridge.
- Step 3 Finally, a note: I don’t mash every single bean since leaving some whole adds an interesting texture. Also, be sure to remove the beans from heat when they reach the consistency that you want. It’s more vital to get the consistency right first. You can always continue to mash the beans off heat if they need further mashing. If for some reason your beans get a little thick, thin them out with a little chicken broth. Serve with my Honduran Baleadas or Bean Tacos and Naturally Sweet Banana Smoothies for a truly authentic Central American meal.
These Creamy and Dreamy Refried Beans are enhanced by the flavorful drippings of hickory-smoked bacon and key spices like red pepper flakes and earthy cumin. Serve with my Naturally Sweet Banana Smoothies and my Honduran Baleadas or Bean Tacos for an authentic Central American dish!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Servings per recipe: 4, calories: 305, total fat: 14.2 g., saturated fat: 5.5 g., cholesterol: 14 mg., sodium: 496 mg., total carbohydrate: 31.9 g., dietary fiber: 7.1 g., total sugars: 1.7 g., protein: 10.5 g., calcium: 110 mg., iron: 3 mg., potassium: 14 mg., vitamin D: 0 mg.