Refrito can also be translated as altered or rehashed. No second frying needed. Fry, mash, done.
I'm teaching myself to make tortillas. So much better than store bought!
Ray, if the beans are cooked soft by simmering, or you have canned beans, then you drain them. Put some onions chopped fine in oil of some type, with seasonings like your recipe says. Mash the cooked, drained beans and add them to the pan with the onions and seasonings. Cook and stir around until good and warm. If they are too thick then add some of the bean broth to thin them.
The recipe is accurate. Only fried once. Not fried to the point of becoming like a pancake. Fried only enough to become a thick bean goop.
The article didn't mention something important. Letting the boiled beans sit a day or two in the refrigerator before mashing & frying helps the taste & texture of the final product. They absorb the spices & dry out a little. It is a dish traditionally made from leftovers.
Olive oil works. Lard is the traditional method. Bacon grease is tasty. I think butter tastes best.
https://es.thefreedictionary.com/refritos wrote:1. adj./ s. m. COCINA Se aplica al alimento que ha sido recalentado en la sartén o muy frito.
My translation is:
Refers to food that has been reheated in the pan, or fried very well.
When I was living among Guatemalans, it was very common to keep the beans in a pan on the stove. They were not refrigerated. Before each meal, the beans would be reheated. The ongoing fermentation of the beans helped the flavor and texture. I suppose that's why the English speaking world's knock-off of refried beans merely taste like mashed beans: They haven't been fermenting in a pot on the stove.
In my own practice, I fry the mashed beans in lots of butter until they are crispy on the outside, then I add water as desired for the consistency I like.
When I was living among Guatemalans, it was very common to keep the beans in a pan on the stove. They were not refrigerated. Before each meal, the beans would be reheated. The ongoing fermentation of the beans helped the flavor and texture.
This was very common in peasant England (and I think much of Europe but my research is in English food history) before refrigeration.
Mrs Beeton talks a lot about broths and pottages. You place them on the cold stone beside the hearth overnight to dissipate the heat. Return to the stove a while before the meal and bring to a full boil for about an hour before serving. In this way a pot (of stuff) can keep for a week to ten days.
Peas porridge was kept this way. I wonder if it tasted as good as these refried beans do?
I made a pot of white beans this weekend and tried frying them up tonight. Delicious!
Here's a good explanation of how the name came about - and why it's wrong.
". . . the English name came about through a mistranslation from Spanish.
The dish we English speakers know as refried beans is called frijoles refritos in Spanish: frijole being the Spanish word for “bean,” and “frito” being a Spanish adjective meaning “fried.” The translation error came about through the mistaken assumption that the prefix re- means in the same thing in Spanish as it does in English. Although placing re- before an English verb is a common way of indicating an action undertaken more than once (e.g., reschedule, reassign, redistribute), in Spanish that prefix is sometimes used as a form of emphasis. Therefore frijoles refritos are not beans that have been fried multiple times, but rather beans that have been well-fried, as Diana Kennedy explained in The Cuisines of Mexico:
Several people have asked me why, when the beans are fried, they are called refried. Nobody I asked in Mexico seemed to know until quite suddenly it dawned on me. The Mexicans have a habit of qualifying a word to emphasize the meaning by adding the prefix re-. They will get the oil very hot (requemar), or something will be very good (retebien). Thus refrito beans are well fried, which they certainly are, since they are fried until they are almost dry."
When I make beans for Mexican food, I don't fry them. I sauté up some minced garlic and onions, add the beans and water and spices, and simmer until they are in a thickened sauce. And I don't mash them.
mmmmm I think I'll have to make up a pot of black beans tomorrow.
If you want the smokey taste of bacon, add a drop of liquid smoke to vegetable oil. Olive oil smokes easily on a skillet. Instead, use avocado oil when heating. Olive oil is poured lightly on your food after you remove the refritos from the stove. Fermentation takes time and stove space, so consider adding cider vinegar for tartness. Cumin, oregano and salt to taste will enhance flavor. A little vinegar goes a long way. I sautee minced onions prior to adding to refritos. Mexican crumbling cheese and minced cilantro is a good garnish after bringing the refritos to the table.
Post by:autobot
I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you - Fred Rogers. Tiny ad:
![[Logo]](/templates/default/mobile/images/mobile-permies-2015.png)
