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FYI: Refried beans are not fried twice. They are just very fried once...
Our refried beans might be fried three or four times. We don't eat all of them at one sitting. They're the best when they have that shiny appearance after the second fry (yum - lard).
I just thought I would do a small update about how I make these, since I have made them so many times now.
The basic recipe is the same, however, I now only add 8 cups of chicken broth (not just water) to the beans and I also add 1 tsp of salt (not 2), pepper, cayenne, garlic, some basil, some parsley, liquid smoke, and a whole (although small) onion. The onion I grate right over the beans, so I get all the juice. I will also shake a little bit of garlic and onion powder in mine as well. All this is to taste, of course.
One of the things I've noticed is that after you remove the beans from the crock pot, let the remaining liquid sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then pour off the thin stuff on top and keep the thicker liquid on the bottom to add to your beans before mashing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by missik999
Once you try using dry beans instead of canned you will never go back to using canned. It only takes a little planning to soak them ahead of time and the results are well worth the tiny bit of extra effort.
What's nice about this recipe is you don't have to soak the beans. I've always put my crock pot on high for 8 hours with these and I've never had a problem with the beans being hard without soaking, since they've cooked in the crock pot all that time. Now, I don't know if I would get the same result if I had the crock pot on low for 8 hours, though.
I am trying to figure out how to cook for myself. My wife passed recently and she was the cook. She used to make this, and she was such a good cook, that all her recipes were “in her headâ€, not written down. I have tried 2 recipes from online but they didn’t turn out right.
I’m visiting with a friend who also can’t cook. I want to learn some basic recipes to feed myself, and also to stay occupied. It gives me some comfort to eat some of the good things my wife cooked. I have basic pots and pans and a crockpot, and I don’t really want to buy any kitchen equipment, since I plan to size down and move eventually. Thanks for any help.
I don't make refried beans in the slow cooker, but I'm sure somebody will chime in with a recipe.
I did find this, which sounds tasty, but I suspect your wife's recipe only used pinto beans, and not 3 kinds as found here.
My favorite pinto recipe is just a 1 pound bag of beans, soaked overnight, then drained and cooked either with 1 T of chicken base or 3 pieces of cut up (with scissors) raw bacon, or both, a small chopped onion, and the amount of water required by the package directions. I will often add a chopped jalapeno and/or some dried Mexican oregano too. This makes a delicious soft bean with broth, but you can also drain some of the beans and mash them in a frying pan in oil or lard for true refried. Adding a little of the broth will help you get a smooth mash. A potato masher works best, but you can use a fork. You might try mashing it without the fat right in the crockpot to see if they turn out like your wife's did.
You have to clean the dried beans. Take out any moldy ones and pay close attention and pick out any small rocks. Rocks are much less common than they used to be, but I still occassionally find one in dried beans.
Once you have picked through them, rinse them off. Place them in the crock pot and cover them with water. You can either let them soak overnight or just start cooking them right away. Both ways work.
Basic refried beans are just plain beans, but you will get some better flavor if you add a diced onion a n d a little chunk of beef or pork (if you use burger, you must brown it first). Do not add salt.
Cook the beans on high until they are really soft. They need to actually boil, and a crock pot on high will do that. To get them really soft takes at least 8 hours, so start them in the morning and let them cook all day.
For authentic refried beans, you heat up a bit of lard in a heavy skillet. Put in a big spoonful of beans and mash them up into a lumpy paste as they fry. At this point, you add salt to taste. I don't fry mine in lard. I just mash them a bit. But I will have cooked them with some beef chuck or pork shoulder, so they already have a bit of animal fat in them.
The meat they were cooked with gets shredded and used in tacos.
You have to clean the dried beans. Take out any moldy ones and pay close attention and pick out any small rocks. Rocks are much less common than they used to be, but I still occassionally find one in dried beans.
Once you have picked through them, rinse them off. Place them in the crock pot and cover them with water. You can either let them soak overnight or just start cooking them right away. Both ways work.
Basic refried beans are just plain beans, but you will get some better flavor if you add a diced onion a n d a little chunk of beef or pork (if you use burger, you must brown it first). Do not add salt.
Cook the beans on high until they are really soft. They need to actually boil, and a crock pot on high will do that. To get them really soft takes at least 8 hours, so start them in the morning and let them cook all day.
For authentic refried beans, you heat up a bit of lard in a heavy skillet. Put in a big spoonful of beans and mash them up into a lumpy paste as they fry. At this point, you add salt to taste. I don't fry mine in lard. I just mash them a bit. But I will have cooked them with some beef chuck or pork shoulder, so they already have a bit of animal fat in them.
The meat they were cooked with gets shredded and used in tacos.
Only thing I would revise about this is the fact that black beans are also delicious refried. They go particularly well with sliced avocados in a burrito.
I do dried pinto beans, onions and ham on the bone in the crock pot. Slow cooking all day. Add cheddar cheese and make corn bread muffins. yum yum
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Has anyone made refried beans in a crockpot?
