World's Best Refried Beans

[Clint]

I've made this a few times now. I'm still tweaking the recipe but it's at that point where it's already better than anything I've had anywhere else. I got the basic recipe here:

http://www.dadcooksdinner.com/2013/02/pressure-cooker-refried-pinto-beans.html

When made like the recipe states (30 minutes high heat in the pressure cooker, 15 minutes still pressurized but off the heat) they're not quite done. The last 2 times I did them I had the pressure cooker cranking along for >40 minutes, and then let it come down for >20 minutes more... I manually released the steam and they were still boiling, and they were done.

Procedure: take 2 cups dry pinto beans, 6 cups water, a splash of oil and a touch of salt if you like. Bring it up to pressure in your pressure cooker & let it rip for >30 minutes, take the pc off the heat and let it de-pressurize naturally. I threw in a few chilis in to be boiled too.

Heat a large pan (I've been using a lodge 12" cast iron), and sautee an onion or two, green & jalapeno peppers, & dried chilis (chili de arbol, new mexico, ancho), whatever you like. Stir fry the veggies until they've given up all or most of their water. Then I took about half of the mixture from the pressure cooker (after mashing a couple dozen times with a potato masher), stirred it into the pot, & fry it all up.

When I made this again yesterday I made it with 4 cups of dried beans, 12 cups water, and ~4 TBSP avocado oil. After I fried the beans in the pan I returned everything into my pressure cooker and simmered it under low heat, stirring (scraping the bottom) every 5 minutes until it was at the desired consistency. ((probably used just under 2 TBSP kosher salt))

These things are good! I've thought about throwing in a small chuck or pork roast, and probably will sometime soon. Worlds best bean burritos, makes a great dip with a little cheese melted in, hot sauce stirred in, and more sour cream than you'd think....all mixed together.

I'll try to post some pictures... I would have but it wasn't done on the grill. I just de-stemmed the dried chilis and broke them into chunks, the texture & appearance is really appealing to me.

 

[Svein]

Thanks, I was looking for such an recipe last week. Can I ask one question, I struggle to source pinto beans, what would the alternative be?

 

[Len Dennis]

Thanks, I was looking for such an recipe last week. Can I ask one question, I struggle to source pinto beans, what would the alternative be?

Black, kidney; just about any kind will do.

 

[Clint]

I made another batch tonight....just finished. I started with 4 cups dried beans again, added a little cumin (1/2 tsp), a tiny bit of basil (1/4 tsp), 1 Tbsp kosher salt, a fresh Anaheim pepper, (following peppers were dry) several chiles de arbol, a few New Mexico, a couple Pasilla peppers, a couple Chile Negro Enteros......

Sauteed all the peppers & ~4 cloves of garlic in my pressure cooker in some EVOO spiked w/ a habanero last week.... 12 cups water, a few bay leaves..... cooked under pressure for 45 minutes, turned off the heat & left it alone for 25 minutes & then I removed the pressure, & then I put it back on the heat in the same pan, stirring every 5 minutes. I had a ladle full & thought it tasted so good as a soup so I saved a quart that wasn't "refried".

Pressure's Off:

Smashed:

Stirred:

Getting there:

And Done!

edit: I almost forgot - I threw in a can of diced tomatoes this time.

 

[Len Dennis]

Pics are always welcome Looks great!