misslabeled: What went wrong? Follow-up to “What is an authentic refried beans recipe”?
I tried to make my refried beans yesterday. They soaked all day and overnight, and after about 3 hours of simmering I decided maybe I just didn’t know what the texture of a “done” bean should be, having eaten one periodically throughout the process. So I decided to mash. Nope, they definitely weren’t done, and even when I decided to sieve them trying to salvage the project, they were still gritty. Luckily, it was a trial run at whether I could make beans and I only wasted two cups dry.
So were the beans too old, heat too low, not cooked long enough, or a combination? I know I’m a rotten cook, but when I can’t even pull off a peasant dish I feel pretty defeated… by a bean! 🙂
Three hours seems like a long time, but I wonder if I had the heat up enough. I have a horrific glasstop stove that burns the bottom of everything, which I was trying to avoid. I miss gas!
Answers and Views:
Answer by Cowgirl_Power
Sounds like they weren’t cooked long enough.
If you start to mash and they aren’t done then you can ad some more water and return to a simmer.
Answer by SteveThey just weren’t cooked long enough. You actually could have still salvaged that last attempt by just adding a little water and letting them simmer. Beans are pretty forgiving.
But, and I hate to say this, homemade refried beans aren’t very noticeably different than the ones that come out of the can. Considering the 16 hours of prep time vs, ummm, 3 minutes of heating, I go for the can every time.
Answer by EloraDananNeed to soak overnight – rinse – cook. Not sure – may be your cooking time.
I buy whole canned pinto’s or black beans. I cook a little bacon in my pan – discard the bacon (put it in a salad or something). Leave the fat – add the beans (don’t drain) and mash them. They taste way better than canned processed refried beans and are actually healthier because there are no additives.
Answer by RunningBearI use canned beans. Dried may be cheap, but simmering anything for three hours or more just isn’t economical.
I fry a little finely chopped onion and garlic, add the beans with some cumin, chilli, black pepper and coriander/cilantro, a big glug of lemon juice, and cook them on a low heat, covered, for 10-20 minutes (doesn’t really matter how long, since they’re already cooked). I add a little hot water when I mash them to loosen the texture, and season with salt right at the end (if you cook them in salt they go tough).
I don’t know about ‘authentic’ but it’s delicious!
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