Refried Beans

Recipe from Our Best Bites.  They adapted it from The Homesick Texan.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pinto beans, rinsed and sorted for stones and sad-looking beans

1 1/2 medium white or yellow onions, divided
6-8 cloves garlic, divided
1 jalapeno, seeded
2 tablespoons white vinegar or liquid from a jar of jalapenos or banana peppers
4-5 tablespoons bacon drippings (or lard or vegetable oil, but really, the bacon drippings)
salt to taste

Instructions:

Place the rinsed beans in a medium saucepan. Fill the pan with water so there’s 1″ of water covering the beans. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the beans.

Place the beans the pot of a slow cooker and fill the pot with water so there’s about 2″ of water covering the beans. Add the jalapeno, 1 onion, peeled and cut in half, and 4-6 cloves of smashed, peeled garlic. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours (high elevations may take longer, so plan accordingly).

When the beans are tender, reserve 1/3-1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add the vinegar or liquid from the jarred peppers to the reserved liquid. Drain the beans, discarding the rest of the liquid. Place the beans (and cooked vegetables) in the jar of your blender. Add 1/3 cup of liquid and blend until the desired consistency is reached (I like mine pretty smooth), adding more liquid if necessary.

Mince the remaining 1/2 onion and 2-4 cloves of garlic. Heat the bacon drippings in a large cast iron skillet (if you have one) over medium heat. When the drippings are hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until tender. Add the bean puree and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until the drippings and beans are incorporated and are light, fluffy, and hot. Salt to taste. Serve alongside Mexican food, wrapped in tortillas with cheese, or by themselves. Makes 8 1/2-cup servings.

Note: These taste like El Toro's refried beans, which I love.  I always wondered how they made them.

**I would definitely recommend the bacon drippings, and I like to use peppercini juice for the liquid.  I tend to use more liquid from the beans than it calls for because I don't like them too stiff.  I cook the onions most of the way, then add the garlic for about a minute.  Sometimes I add a little garlic salt if it needs more garlic or salt.