This makes a lot of refried beans, too many for a dinner of 10 I held recently. Cut it in half if you don't want to be eating refried beans for weeks!

1 lb dried pinto beans
water
½ lb salt pork
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
¼ c lard (yes, lard) or bacon drippings

Prep

  1. Wash and pick over beans. Put in large pan, fill with water and soak overnight. Or cover the beans with plenty of water, bring them to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Then, turn off the heat, cover tightly, and let them sit for 1 hour.
  2. Finely chop the onion.
  3. Mince the garlic.

Cook

  1. Drain soaking water and cover with about 2 inches of fresh water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
  2. Make several cuts into the salt pork down to, but not through, the rind, and add it to the pot.
  3. Bring beans to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer, covered. Cook for about 2 hours. Stir beans up from the bottom occasionally, and add water if they start looking dry. When beans are soft (not mushy), but still hold their shape, they are done.
  4. Taste and add salt, if desired.
  5. In a heavy skillet, sauté onion and garlic in lard or bacon drippings until onion is soft and clear.
  6. Drain the liquid from the cooked pintos, reserving 1 cup.
  7. Remove the salt pork.
  8. Add the drained beans to the skillet, and mash them with a potato masher.
  9. Work the cooking liquid, one-fourth cup at a time, into the mashed beans until mixture is uniformly moist and smooth.
  10. Continue to cook and stir the beans up from the bottom of the pan, until mixture is a thick paste.

Notes:

People in areas with hard water can cook their beans till the cows come home, and the beans will still be tough or not thoroughly done. If you have that problem, add a scant 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water, and you will have one less problem.

A word about fats: Peanut oil is an acceptable substitute for the lard or bacon drippings if you like to eat Refried Beans frequently. If fat is a real concern to you, it can be omitted altogether. Refried Beans are certainly not the same without it, but they're still surprisingly good.