I love refried beans, and usually have them for breakfast with tortillas and salsa. But I only love them when they are molten, smooth, and semi-liquid – and I can’t find a brand that consistently meets this criteria. With Old El Paso and Ortega, it seems to be hit and miss – I put it into a pan on medium low heat, and half the time they get nice and molten/liquid, and half the time they stay the same thick, gummy texture they are when they’re cold. I tried a vegetarian brand, and it was much worse – always gummy.
Am I doing it wrong? Is there a brand that always gets to that nice molten, semi-liquid texture?
Hmmm. I can only offer my experience with making refried beans from leftover pintos. I just smash up a serving in the frying pan with some fat. If I use too much fat, they come out very runny. If I use less fat, they come out more gummy. So, my suggestion is just to add a little fat to them if they seem pasty. Bacon fat is the recommended fat, of course.
I really enjoy Old El Paso “Spicy Fat Free” refried beans. I find the lumpyness to be consistent, but then again I don’t mind them lumpy. Perhaps you could use a potato masher to smoosh them while they’re simmering- that should even them out.
I always add a little water to get the texture I like. Fat would have he advantage of consistency, since the water evaporates away as it cooks, and the beans will re-gummify (at which point I add in more water), and would add flavor, but it would also be less healthy, and I’m usually not looking for ways to make Mexican food less healthy.
I’m a big fan of Sante Fe Bean Co. dehydrated refried beans. When we use canned it seems like I’m always throwing out 1/4 of a can or more and that bothers my frugal mind.
Using dehydrated, I just cook up what ever we’re going to use that night. You also get to choose your consistency by adjusting the amount of water you add.
I use Mexicali Rose dehydrated beans. They come in pinto and black beans. Some Walmarts carry them, but I have to mail order them: Mexicali Rose Website
My husband is Mexican, so we tend to be picky. These are the closest we’ve found to home made, without the hassle.
On the few occasions we use canned, we use Rosarita.
I grew up with ‘Rosarita Refries’, so that’s what I almost always get. I add a little bit of vegetable oil at the beginning to make them a little less viscous.
I can make refried beans from scratch, but Mrs. L.A. thinks that’s silly. (She also won’t let me use lard – but some bacon grease os OK. )
How about using a few spoonfuls of sofrito as the liquidy part, rather than grease?
I always put a can of drained pintos into the saucepan with sofrito, vinegar, oregano, and a few shakes of Adobo seasoning. No fat. Water (or beer if I want frijoles borrachos) to cover. When the consistency is right, take a potato masher to the pan.
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