getting closer

these dry little pinto beans are so humble and unassuming. they are a blank slate, mine to season and beautify any way that i see fit.

i have been striving to achieve refried bean nirvana (yah, it's a real thing) for years and am getting closer and closer to that place with each batch of beans that i make.

i cooked this batch with bacon, garlic, 1.5 jalapenos (seeds and ribs included for some heat), onion and a little cumin and chile powder.

after they had simmered with all the tasty little additions for an hour, i strained them, saving some of the bean juice (i know, sounds disgusting, stay with me) and then mashed them up with a potato masher, adding a little of the bean juice to get the right consistency.

meanwhile, i cut up 2 slices of bacon and cooked them until i rendered all the fat and they were just crisp. i added 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced, and softened the onions in the bacon fat for 7 minutes. i added in the smashed up beans and cooked those on med/med hi heat for about 5 minutes.

the resulting beans were flavorful, creamy and a little spicy from the cumin and the jalapenos. this recipe made enough beans to eat with dinner for 2 nights, lunch for a couple days and then i even froze 2 servings.

original recipe here from homesick texan.

to her recipe, i added- 1 T of cumin, 1 T of chile powder and 1 jalapeno cut in half (with seeds and ribs) to the beans while they cooked for an hour.