Refried Beans

First of all, you need to buy good dry pinto beans. They are usually found in the Mexican food section or near the rice and beans. Look for beans that are lighter in color. If they are a dark reddish brown color don’t bother buying them. That means they are old. Fresher beans are lighter in color and cook up much better.

Ingredients:

• (1 Pound) Dry Pinto Beans

• (3 Times as much as the beans) Water

• (1/2 - 1 Tablespoon - to taste) Salt

Directions:

Dump beans on the counter and use a colander to push them in to and look for any dirt pieces or bad beans.  In the US this is an easy task because the beans have been cleaned well but I usually find one or two pieces of dirt.  Rinse beans well.

You can cook the beans on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker/instapot.  In the winter I cook them on the stovetop because I like to smell them and it makes the kitchen warm.  In the summer the instapot is the only way to go.  Also, it is a little faster.  I don’t like beans cooked in a crock pot as much because they don’t cook hot enough and they taste a little different because of it. Remember having enough water is very very important!!!  I always use lots and lots of water as to avoid any potential burning of the beans!

Instructions:

Fill pot with hot water.  At least 3x as much water as beans.
I usually do about a pound of dry beans in the Instapot and fill it up to the max line for water.

On the stovetop boil beans for about 1 ½ hours to 3 hours.  I like my bean really soft so I boil them til I can easily smash on on the side of the pan with a fork.  Fresher beans take less time, older beans take longer.

In the instapot you cook on high pressure for 45 minute, letting it cool down on its own.  This takes a while, that’s why it isn’t really that much faster than stovetop.

DO NOT add salt at the beginning.  This make the bean firmer and not mash easily for refried beans.

You add salt at the end of cooking.  It takes a lot of salt!  Like in the full Instapot probably 1 tablespoon worth.  However, add slowly to get the level of salt you enjoy.

Listo! You have your beans… now for the refry part

You have two options here….
When I make these fresh, I don’t actually fry them.  I just mashed them up and let them simmer.  They are delicious and very good for you.
If I want them to last a little longer and be more creamy then I do fry them.  I use vegetable oil, about a ¼ of a cup.  Put in a pan, heat up, then add your beans—four cups-ish (pretty messy).   Then mash them up and let simmer.  They are delicious and creamy!

Tips:
Check beans while cooking. If they need more water add hot water not cold.  You can’t check the instapot so just start with enough water!
I usually have to dump some water out before I mash the beans.
If they are too runny, don’t worry, they thicken as they simmer.
If they get too thick just add water (it can be straight from the tap or water you cooked them in)

I freeze leftovers so they are ready the for the next Mexican food night!  Sometimes I make a huge batch and then freeze them in portions I will use over the next few months.