Refried Beans

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

pressure cooking
7 cups water
20 oz bag HamBeens® Pinto Beans, with season packet
1/2 teaspoon Bob’s Red Mill® Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Bourbon Barrel Foods® Smoked Salt
1 yellow onion, halved
2 bay leaves
cooking
1 cup chicken stock, divided
1/4 cup lard
1/4 cup cooked yellow onion, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Bourbon Barrel Foods® Smoked Paprika
Bourbon Barrel Foods® Smoked Salt, to taste
garnish
white onion, minced
cilantro, chopped

Directions

Rinse beans. Rinse in a colander, removing any unwanted pieces that may be in the bag.

pressure cook the beans
Add beans to Instant Pot, and onion halves, baking soda and salt to the instant pot and fill the pot with the 7 cups of water. Add the bay leaves and the HamBeens® season packet and stir to combine.

Make sure the Instant Pot is sealed and cook on high pressure using the “Beans” setting if available for 45 minutes on High. Make sure the “Keep Warm” setting is off. When the beans are finished cooking, allow the pressure to naturally release for 25 minutes. Then, manually release any remaining pressure, and test beans to make sure they are tender.

cook beans
Drain the beans, removing the onion and bay leaves. Using 1 half of the cooked onion, finely mince and set aside.

In a large black iron skillet with high sides over medium high heat add the lard. Once the lard has melted and is hot, add the minced onion and stir for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, then add the beans, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika and a 1/4 cup of the chicken stock.

Using a potato masher, gently mash the beans as they cook, scraping the sides and stirring with a spatula occasionally. Continue stirring and mashing until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Add more chicken stock a little at a time, if necessary to reach desired consistency.

Taste, then season with additional salt or seasonings to taste.

To serve, plate in a large bowl and garnish with minced onion and cilantro.

Notes

• If your instant pot does not have a “Beans” setting use the “Pressure Cook” setting.
• For freezing, let the beans cool and divide the beans into three 1 lb servings. Put the bean servings into separate FoodSaver® bags or freezer bags. If using FoodSaver® bags, pre-freeze in the freezer overnight before sealing. For regular freezer bags, remove as much air as possible. Store in the freezer until needed.
• 1 lb of beans makes 4 servings.

I DO NOT get any compensation, free stuff or acknowledgment for mentioning, using or linking to any specific products mentioned. They are for my reference only. Any product or ingredient in the recipe can be substituted with what you have available, a regional favorite or what you find delicious.