Alfredo Garcia

Refried Black Beans

 Soak the black beans in water over night, I soaked for 10 hours.

 Drain the water, add 8 cups of water to a big pot and the soaked beans, along with the garlic and half of the white onion.

 Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, stirring every couple of minutes. Salt the beans halfway through the cooking process.

 The beans are cooked through when you can easily smash the beans between your fingers.

 To make them refried beans, to a large skillet add the lard on medium heat, once it’s hot, add the remaining half of the onion, chopped, along with the jalapeño, cook for 3-5 minutes.

 Then add in the chopped tomato and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

 Add in 3 cups of black beans with some of the cooking liquid, bring them to a simmer, then start mashing with a potato masher or blend with an immersion blender, all depending on the consistency you want.

 Serve as a side with your favorite entree or simply serve with chips and salsa as an appetizer.