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Altoona, WI | Refried beans
Start with a large steel or cast iron skillet. You can't get a non-stick hot enough to make good beans.
Get skillet good and hot.
Add a couple of large spoonfuls of bacon grease. Allow to melt.
Add a half of a diced onion. Saute the onion until translucent.
Have 2 cans of pinto beans ready.
Add a couple of cloves of minced garlic to the grease/onion mixture. Stir.
Allow garlic to brown for 30 seconds. Don't want it to go too long or it will burn.
Dump both cans of undrained beans in. Use caution as it will spit and splatter in the hot grease.
Sprinkle some cumin over the beans and mix in. Go easy. Can always add more later.
Allow bean mix to come to a boil.
Turn heat down to medium or so.
Use a potato masher and start smashing the beans until it reaches the consistency you like. Some people like some chunks, some like it creamy.
Once mashed, use a steel spatula to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan every couple of minutes. Cook until reduced to the thickness you want. Beans will thicken as they cool so don't reduce too much. You can add a little water if they do. Taste for salt when they get toward the end of cooking. Add to taste. If you salt them too early, the salt concentrates as the beans reduce and could end up too salty.
Variations:
Can add diced jalapeños to onion mix early on to add some heat.
Can add adobo sauce to add heat and smokiness.
Can add some chipotle chili powder.
Can add some chopped up bacon.
I have used canola oil if I didn't have bacon grease. They came out surprisingly good.
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Mexican rice and refried beans
