tasty refried beans?

gemmaj

My name is Gemma and I am addicted to refried beans... well, I would be if they weren't over £1 a tin :eek: which makes them a rare treat!!

So I came across a link to a refried bean recipe from a post on this site, and I have cooked a h_u_g_e batch of pinto beans and tried a quater of them with this recipe, but its just no where near the same taste. Can anyone recommend any other recipes?

The one I tried was on the Hillbilly website and was cooked pinto beans, reheated and mashed with bacon fat. I don't mind the thickness but the taste is just totally different!

edit: ooh, should have said, last time I bought a tin I read the ingrediants; pinto beans, onion powder, water and I think sunflower oil? (It was a while ago). So how do they get it so tasty???!

Penelope_Penguin

purpleivy posted a recipe here.

Enjoy :beer: Penny. x

PasturesNew

You'll have to try different sources for the beans I'd imagine.
Like anything else, one brand isn't the same as another. It could be a quality issue, or perhaps a country/region issue where they're grown.

Apples are apples, but a Golden Delicious is nothing like a Cox' Pippin.

Swan_2

you definitely do need Pintos for proper refried beans, no other beans have the right taste & texture

I've got a recipe somewhere, involving Pintos, onions cooked two ways, oil/fat & seasoning ... I'll dig it out & post it if no-one else comes up with anything like it first

purpleivy

Well, I hate the ones from a can! THe key to all cooking with beans is seasoning, seasoning and more seasoning, because they are very very bland on their own. THe recipe I used was adapted from a Rose Eliott recipe. I always cook my own beans as well. I do a whole bag at a time and then freeze in portions.

Fivenations

Beans labelled as PInto beans can be quite expensive as well as hard to find but I buy Rose cocoa beans from my local Indian supermarket. Natco sell them. They are very similar in taste and worth a try.

Also it may be worth searching for copycat recipes of the brand you buy, plus try looking for recipes by Rick Bayless.

gemmaj

Thanks, shall give it another bash!

pamaris

Rosecoco are interchangeable with pinto beans. Also, if you see borlotti beans they're the same. I'm from Texas, and we eat lots of pinto beans- boiled & refried. Seasoning and salt is the key, and long slow cooking. I always start with dried beans- never tinned.

I always cook beans with a ham hock or generous amounts of high quality bacon (6 slices, cut up- which I pre-cook in the pan at the beginning of the process- with onions & garlic). I often use chicken or pork stock cubes. I season with cumin, chili & paprika (start with 1/2 teaspoon of each, then adjust). I start it out with sauteed onion & garlic (& bacon if using), then add the (pre-soaked) beans. Sometimes at the end I add a squeeze of lemon juice. Last time, I added butter and they were quite more-ish. If my kids would let me I'd add jalepeno or similar peppers, but instead I just add a few splashes of tobasco to my own bowl. Half the time I also add a tin of tomatoes. Oh and I love to add coriander if I have it lying around.

The end result varies according to what I have on hand, but the core ingredients are the garlic, onion, bacon/ ham, SALT (or stock cubes- I think I used 3 last time), & chili powder/ cumin/ paprika.

These beans are very versatile- on their own with cornbread (another thing I miss from Texas), or over rice, or in tortillas for burritos, or as an extender for chili. It is the basic recipe for burracho beans, which are the beans that Mexicans 're-fry' to make refried beans. For refried beans, pulverise half of the beans & mix.

Beans are also better the next day, as the flavours absorb overnight. I always make the whole bag and freeze individual portions.

If you ever find black beans anywhere- they lend well to the same recipes as pinto beans.

I wish I could post an actual recipe but it's one of those things that is so easy that once you get the basics right you don't need one. Now, I really want some beans!

Kavanne

I have a tin of refried beans. The tin suggests I can have them with fajitas or nachos but I'd like to do something a bit more interesting. Anyone have any good recipes?

Thanks of course will go to anyone who can help!

CCP

I love refried beans in veggie burritos - a couple of spoonfuls wrapped up in tortillas/wraps with some veggies stir-fried with a bit of cajun spice mix, then put in a baking dish and topped with spicy tomato sauce and some grated cheese, and baked until all golden and bubbly. :drool::drool:

It also makes a surprisingly nice sandwich filling, with salad and a bit of mayo - it's rather like bean pate, after all.

Best of all, though, imo, is to eat the stuff straight from the can with a spoon. :drool::drool::drool: (Only when no-one's looking, though, obviously! )

Kavanne

ooh veggie burrittos sounds goooooood