← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 800 g cooked pinto beans (2 × 400 g tins, or homemade), drained, liquid kept
• 250 ml bean cooking liquid or water
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil (or lard)
• ½ white onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 pinch Black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 min, until soft and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
2. Tip in the beans and let them sizzle for 2 min, stirring.
3. Mash with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, adding the bean liquid a splash at a time, until you have a thick, mostly smooth purée.
4. Keep cooking for 8–10 min over medium-low heat, stirring and scraping the bottom, until the beans are creamy and pull away from the pan. Add more liquid if they get too stiff; they firm up as they cool.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Tips

• Lard is traditional and gives a deeper flavour, but then the beans are no longer vegetarian.
• For extra-smooth beans, blend them with the liquid before frying.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Mexican Food Journal Maricruz Avalos ¡Hola! Jalapeño