How to Make Refried Pinto Beans

Refried pinto beans are considered as a part of authentic Mexican food. The smooth, flavorful and comforting refried beans offer a tasty delight and are relished by one and all. It is not actually 'refried' as the name indicates, but is cooked twice, once in water to soften the beans and then in lard or oil.

Refried pinto beans can serve as a healthy snack for your kids or can be a complete meal for the entire family. Cooking this beans is not that difficult. The only thing to keep in mind is to start a day ahead, as it needs to simmer for a long time to bring out the perfect flavor. Here is how to go about it:

• 2 cups of dried pinto beans
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• ½ cup lard or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese (optional)

• Inspect the pinto beans carefully and discard any stones, stray dirt or bad beans if present. Then wash the pinto beans with cold water.
• In a large saucepan, place the washed pinto beans and pour 8 cups of water. Bring to boil.

• Add the roughly chopped onions to the boiling water with beans. Cover and let it simmer rapidly for about 30 minutes.
• Then add salt and oregano and continue cooking for an hour or so, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft and tender. You can add extra water if necessary.

• Now, take a large skillet and heat one tablespoon lard or vegetable oil in it, over medium heat.
• Add the cooked pinto beans and the juice to the heated oil. Mash the beans using a potato masher, while they fry, until creamy. A few chunks of whole beans here and there will do!

• Now, place the beans in a large bowl, sprinkle some salt and top them with cheese. Serve immediately!

This was about preparing the Mexican favorite refried beans. Although classic refried beans are made using pinto beans, you may modify the recipe by using black beans.

Despite some unhealthy components that pinto beans have, they offer several health benefits, if cooked in a proper manner. Canned beans contain a high amount of sodium, which can lead to serious conditions like hypertension and is not welcome for your heart health. A lot of people consider beans as fattening. However, this is only a misconception as most canned refried pinto beans have only 5 gm or fewer fat per serving.

Pinto beans are fully loaded with proteins, and one serving can provide almost 10% of your daily protein requirement. They also contain a good amount of dietary fibers and minerals like iron and calcium. Pinto beans as such are free of dietary cholesterol, however, if they are cooked with animal fats, they may have certain amount of cholesterol.

Calories vary according to the ingredients used. One can of dried pinto beans contain about 240 calories, but those present in the lard or oil used to cook these beans add up and can be high.

Refried pinto beans also provide vitamin B that is essential for energy production. Because of all the above nutritional facts, refried beans are considered as a part of 'beans and meat' category in the USDA's food pyramid.

You can cook the pinto beans in water and refrigerate them in order to be used for making refried beans whenever required! Hope you found this article interesting!