You Have to Make Your Own Roasted Beans
I have nothing against canned food, especially when it comes to beans, but I prefer to make the fried beans myself. Aside from the “best” taste, you can manipulate them to suit your taste by adjusting the seasonings, aromas, and most importantly, the fat.
If you’re short on time, you can use a can of pinto beans, but the “re-frying” step is what you need to take over. Fry the beans in lard, bacon butter, vegetable oil (for my vegetarian friends), duck fat (for me), or even butter. Damn it, you want a hybrid fat situation? Fry these babies in butter and bacon . You can also mess around with condiments and flavors. Onions and garlic are a must, but I also love adding bay leaves while they sizzle, along with a healthy pinch of cumin and a sprig of oregano, although I sometimes omit those two if I prefer cleaner beans. – an advanced aroma. To do it yourself, you will need:
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans (or one can)
- 1 tablespoon of your favorite butter, be it lard, bacon fat, chicken schmalz, duck fat, vegetable oil, or butter
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 sprig fresh oregano
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)
- Salt to taste
Heat oil in a saucepan or Dutch oven until shimmering and add onion, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and cumin. Season with salt. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned, the onions are soft and you can smell the aromatic substances. Add the beans, season with salt and cook until warmed up and falling apart a little. Remove the bay leaf and oregano and mash the beans to the desired consistency using mashed potatoes or a hand blender. Try and add more salt if needed. If the beans are too thick, add a tablespoon of water. I like the smooth base texture with a few chunks scattered all over the place, so I usually remove half of the beans, wash them with an immersion blender, and roughly knead the rest with a wooden spoon before stirring everything together again. Use beans as a base for great nachos, huevos rancheros, or simply eat them with high quality tortillas.