Refried Beans

"These beans can be made ahead and frozen either whole or refried. They taste great as a side dish or in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos. They're best when they've sat overnight, which makes them softer and better for mashing." --Theresa Marquez

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 3  cups  dried pinto beans
• 20  cups  water, divided
• 2  ounces  salt pork
• 2  large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  salt
• 1 1/2  cups  (6 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Sort and wash beans; place in a pressure cooker. Add 10 cups water. Close lid securely; bring to high pressure over high heat (about 7 minutes). Cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat; place pressure cooker under cold running water. Remove lid. Drain beans, discarding liquid.

Return beans to the pressure cooker. Add 10 cups water, salt pork, and garlic. Close lid securely; bring to high pressure over high heat (about 7 minutes). Adjust heat to medium or level to maintain high pressure; cook 1 hour. Remove from heat; place pressure cooker under cold running water. Remove lid.

Discard salt pork. Cool the beans to room temperature.

Drain beans, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the beans, reserved cooking liquid, and salt. Mash the bean mixture with a potato masher to desired consistency. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese.

Note: To prepare in a pan: Sort and wash beans, and place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above the beans; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans. Add beans, 10 cups water, salt pork, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 45 minutes or until beans are tender. Continue with discarding salt pork and complete the recipe as directed.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

242 (28% from fat)

Fat:

7.5g (sat 4.3g,mono 1g,poly 0.4g)

Protein:

13.2g

Carbohydrate:

30.8g

Fiber:

11.8g

Cholesterol:

17mg

Iron:

2.9mg

Sodium:

373mg

Calcium:

160mg