Authentic Refried Beans

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Ingredients

1 pound dried pinto beans
5 smoked chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (come in a can in the Mexican section)
1/4 cup (more or less) lard
1/4 pound (more or less) chorizo sausage or chopped bacon.

Instructions

Cook the beans according to the package instructions. This will take in the neighborhood of 2 hours. The package instructions should have you add a little salt the last half hour.

Once the beans are cooked, you have two options. If you want perfectly smooth refries, put the beans in a blender. If you want some texture, use a potato masher. Either way, the next step when the beans are done is to make a mash.

For use in burritos, etc, smoother is better. As a side dish, I prefer potato masher texture. I also don`t get along well with my wife`s blender, so rather than risk a bean explosion all over the kitchen, I opted for the potato masher.

Next, in a large skillet, melt the lard and cook the sausage or bacon. My wife thought I bought the chorizo and I thought she did. After a moment of panic I remembered that I had some odds and ends of buckboard bacon in the freezer. I chopped them into little pieces, and honestly, chorizo could not have been better. The bacon added a smoky flavor to the beans that was wonderful. I doubt you could go wrong either way.

Once the meat is cooked, chop and add the chipotles. Sautee them briefly, then start adding some of the bean mixture to the lard/meat/chipotle pan. Again, you have to decide on your texture. If you want perfectly smooth, when you have about half the bean mash in, stop and transfer everything to the blender again, to pulverize the meat and peppers. I did not want that consistency (nor did I want to tempt fate with my nememsis, the blender), so I just kept spooning in the mash. When you have it fully combined, stir and cook over medium heat until desired consistency is reached. If it gets too thick, add a little water. If it`s too thin, keep it on the stove longer.

Enjoy. Thanks again, Pato. Those who have real reason to fear the lard can substitute. But, if you`re of fairly normal constitution and fit, I strongly suggest you make them with lard at least once.

Notes

Number of Servings: A lot

Time to Prepare: