Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)

AQ Pittman, executive chef at José — a wonderful restaurant in Dallas specializing in the cooking of Guadalajara — makes some of the best refried beans in Dallas (a city that boasts some of the country’s best refried beans!), so we went to her for advice when we put together a story about making Tex-Mex favorite dishes at home.

We asked for her secret. “There’s really no secret,” she said. “It’s manteca.” Pork fat, that is.

At the restaurant, they use the fat that renders out when they make carnitas to sauté white onion, then they add beans that were cooked the previous day with a little onion and garlic, and left to cool in their cooking liquid. (Known as frijoles de olla, at that point, they are inexplicably delicious already.)

But it’s actually not as simple as AQ makes it out to be. Once the onion is soft, you add the beans, heating them in the fat. Once they’re hot, mash them with a potato masher. Keep mashing, adding in some of the cooking liquid. That’s the tricky part — how much to mash? How much liquid to add? “I would say enough to help them move,” says AQ. “They will get thicker as you mash, so you will add a bit more.” The consistency you’re going for, she says, is “like a hummus, but not nearly as smooth.”

When you add the liquid as you mash, it will emulsify the fat the beans are cooking in. Just how much liquid to add in is the big question mark: Start with half a cup or so, and add more little by little, mashing and stirring, until you get a consistency you like. You’ll probably add a cup or more. Once you’re happy with it, serve the refried beans immediately. If you let it sit on the stove for a bit, you may need to stir in a little more liquid before serving.

If you like, you can top with a little grated cheese, chopped white onion or cilantro — or serve plain.

Our recipe calls for lard and/or bacon fat. I’ve read that bacon fat’s smoke can overpower refried beans, but I found the flavor of those beans to be less overwhelmingly porky than what resulted when I made them using just lard; the flavor added by bacon fat was rather delightful. (I think I had very porky lard.) made it with both, If you’d like to make a vegan version, you can substitute olive oil for the fat. The refried beans won’t be as rich, but they’ll be good. Looking to make some Mexican rice to go with the refritos? We’ve got you covered.

Makes 4 servings.

For the FRIJOLES DE OLLA

Ingredients

1 pound dried pinto beans

1/4 white onion, sliced

4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed

1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

1. Place the beans in a large pot with the onion and garlic, and pour 10 cups of boiling water on them. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 4 hours. Stir only occasionally, to make sure the beans aren’t sticking. Add a little water if necessary. Stir in the salt.

2. Let the beans cool in their liquid. Cover and store overnight in the fridge. Measure out 4 cups of beans to use in the recipe, along with most of the cooking liquid. Reserve the rest of the beans for another use.

TO MAKE Refried Beans

Ingredients

3 tablespoons lard or bacon fat (or a combination)

1/2 white onion, diced small (about 1 cup), plus additional for garnish, if desired

4 cups cooked pinto beans, drained (and cooking liquid reserved)

3/4 cups to 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from the pinto beans

Grated cheese and/or cilantro leaves for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the lard and/or bacon fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, turn heat to medium-low, and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the cooked pinto beans to the pan, turn heat to medium-high, stir to combine with the onion, and let it cook, stirring gently once or twice, until the beans are heated through.

3. Using a potato masher, mash the beans in the pan. As you mash, they’ll get thicker, so add a little of the cooking water to loosen them (about a quarter cup at a time). Continue mashing until the beans are the texture you like — like hummus but not as smooth is a good goal — adding more of the cooking liquid along the way. Serve immediately. You can also let the refried beans rest a few minutes before serving; if so, you’ll probably want to stir in a bit more cooking liquid before serving. If you like, sprinkle a little grated cheese on top or garnish with chopped onion and/or cilantro.