I make pinto beans into refried beans. I soak them, then boil them with onions, celery seasonings, etc. Then I blend them with a hand blender and fry them with the beef when I make burritos. The problem is I put too much water in the beans before I boiled them and I usually don't need to drain the water but I should have this time...now I have more of a bean soup.
Is there any way to thicken these up? (would prefer not to use cornstarch)
Thanks!
Gypsymoma, please tell me how you make your refried beans...would love to know the right way. Mine actually taste very good and they're really healthy, but I can take all the advice I can get. thanks.
You can cook the water out. It would probably take you a little longer, but I thing GrammaRocks is pretty dead on. I always throw my cooked beans in a skillet with a little corn oil or butter and fry them while mashing them with a masher or the back of a spoon. But again, I would probably just cook the water out if you don't want to drain them. Put it on a high boil until it's all gone, then mash away.
I hope you got it all sorted out!
Ditto GypsyMommy. I cook the beans, drain them, add some oil (my Nana used lard) to a skillet or pot, mash them with a potato masher, and add some cheese. I usually need to make them less thick and add a touch or more of milk which makes them creamier. Add shredded cheese and keep cooking on low, but you might have some tasty soup.
ETA - adding the milk to them is a trick I learned from an old friend of my Dad's who owned a Mexican restaurant, we're not talking a lot, a touch. I've been doing it many years, no one has complained.
Well for one if you want actuall refried beans your doing it completely wrong. I'm Latina and we do it differently.
I've never heard of anyone adding all those ingredient to refried beans eeeewww lol! Or even blending them either?
I guess if that's how you like them, I only see one problem add a little water then blend and add a bit more till its as thick as you want it?
But once you've water them down there's no turning back unless you add nothing but beans. :-/
Cheese sometimes helps monster cheese, but don't know if it would help specially the way your cooking them.
GrammaRocks got it to the note simple and short! :-) not sure about the milk I don't add milk, I just add more of the liquid the beans were cooking in to make them less thick. And I use lard, but All-Vegetable shortening (Crisco brand)works just as great! Make sure you add enough salt to your beans wen boiled or whatnot or they won't taste good.
I found this recipe that starts with bean purée, which is what it sounds like you have. Maybe try this method and see if it works ....
INGREDIENTS
6 cups basic bean puree
3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
TO PREPARE
In a large saute pan over medium high heat, pour the oil and heat until hot but not smoking, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onions and let them saute for about 3 to 4 minutes, until they have softened, become translucent and have started to slightly brown along the edges.
Add the bean puree over the sauteed onion, and let them season and thicken for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the beans are bubbling way too much, lower the heat a little to medium-low heat. Let them continue thickening, until they have achieved a thick puree consistency and are somewhat pasty looking. It depends on your liking, some people like them thicker and some people like them with a softer consistency. While it depends on how you like them, they are mostly cooked until they can hold a shape when scooped with a spoon.
(From http://www.patismexicantable.com/2009/04/refried_beans/)
You can try to cook longer and reduce, but eventually they need to stop cooking! If there is a lot of liquid, it will never cook all out. I think adding more beans to the liquid, is probably the best way.
I would keep cooking them to reduce the liquid. Or maybe use arrowroot...a more natural alternative to corn starch?
If you've already put them in the blender then there is nothing you can do other then to add more beans and no liquid. I've done that a few times an it really sucks.
On all.recipies there is a terrific slow cooker Refried without the refri recipe. I highly recommend it!!!!! I use pinto and black beans, and I've used the basic recipe witout the mashing to just cook up black beans. I will never again buy canned beans or use the stove to make Refried.
Just cook them more.
How about once the beans are cooked, You drain the liquid. That is what we do.. Or we re-fry them the next day, after they have been stored in the fridge.
To cook the beans, We add salt, salt pork, 2 chopped cloves of fresh garlic, a whole white onion, and a whole jalapeno (do not let the jalapeno break) to the beans and the water. Bring to boil, and then simmer till cooked. Add boiling water if the water gets lower than the beans. Never add cold water, it will split the beans,
Once beans are cooked (you can remove the onion and jalapeno), place oil in skillet, use slotted spoon, to spoon in beans into skillet. Mash beans with potato masher.
I have NEVER heard of adding milk to beans for any reason.. If the beans are cooked properly and not much water in the skillet for re-frying , they will not need anything to make them creamy.. Our secret is to place them in the fridge over night.
