Name: Frijoles Molidos (Refried Beans) Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Latin American, Latin
Ingredients: 4 (14-ounce) cans red kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 cup water; 1/4 cup lard or 6 strips bacon, chopped; 1 small onion, chopped; 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar; Salt and pepper; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon ketchup; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons yellow mustard; 1/3 cup cracklings, crumbled; 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese

Frijoles Molidos (Refried Beans) Recipe

Deeply flavored and rich, these refried beans are cooked slowly and with care. The results are a big step up from those bland restaurant versions.

55 min total 5 min prep 50 min cook 6 358 cal

Instructions

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1 Purée 2 cans beans and 1/2 cup water in blender until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Purée remaining 2 cans beans and remaining 1/2 cup water until smooth; leave in blender.
2 Heat large cast iron skillet over medium heat. If using lard, melt in skillet. If using bacon, cook until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate; reserve for other use.
3 Add onion, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and light golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape mixture into blender with beans and blend until smooth.
4 Heat skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add all puréed beans and cook, stirring, until beginning to thicken and darken in color, about 15 minutes. Add ketchup, Worcestershire, and mustard, ketchup and continue cooking, stirring and scraping bottom of pan occasionally, until beans are thickened and darkened in color, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle beans with cracklings and cheese; serve.