Mexican · Mexico
Refried Beans
Frijoles refritos (refried beans — misnomered; the 'refried' is a mistranslation of 'well-fried,' not 'fried again') are pinto or black beans cooked from dried, then mashed and fried in lard until they form a smooth, creamy, slightly shiny paste. They should be rich, savoury, and deeply flavoured — not watery, not pasty, not underseasoned. They are used as a base layer in multiple dishes and are inseparable from Mexican cooking.
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I
The Market List
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400 g
dried pinto beans
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 ml
lard or neutral oil
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
120 g
white onion
diced
Your own market
4 g
kosher salt
Your own market
2 g
cumin seeds
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 g
ancho chilli powder
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Soak pinto beans in cold water for 8 hours or overnight; drain and rinse thoroughly.
From the canon — Pinto beans — the daily staple of New Mexican cooking — are cooked in a manner almost identical to the Mexican frijoles de olla but with specific New Mexican… Pinto Beans: New Mexican Preparation →
2
Bring beans to boil in fresh water, reduce heat, and simmer 35–40 minutes until completely tender; drain, reserving 120 ml cooking liquid.
3
Heat lard in heavy skillet over medium-high; render onion until translucent, 3 minutes.
4
Add warm cooked beans and reserved liquid; mash coarsely with wooden spoon or potato ricer to achieve chunky paste texture.
5
Season with salt, cumin seeds, and ancho chilli powder; stir continuously 2 minutes to toast spices and deepen flavour.
6
Continue cooking and stirring 3–5 minutes until beans reach thick, spreadable consistency; adjust salt to taste.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where refried beans live or die is the bean cooking liquid — save every drop of the liquid the beans cooked in. It contains dissolved starches and minerals that, when added back to the fried beans during the final cooking, create the characteristic glossy, creamy consistency. Water added in place of bean cooking liquid produces a flat, starchy result.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Agave spirit
From British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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