So here's a question....do you call it a crock pot or a slow cooker? I'm curious. I guess Crock Pot is a brand name, huh? Oh well, no matter what you call it, its a very useful kitchen appliance. I really use mine pretty minimally, but I do love being able to make things earlier in the day when I have more time that are then ready at dinner time. I've probably made this recipe a couple times over the past year. Its SUPER easy--no bean soaking, no pressure cooking, no keeping an eye on the water level in a boiling pot of beans on the stove top (yes, we've burned beans this way). Its low-fat--no bacon grease or oil. Despite no added fat, its still really flavorful. Really, its just a winner all around. Plus it makes the equivalent of about 2-3 cans of refried beans so you'll have plenty to freeze for later use! I'm not the hugest fan of just a side of refried beans (actually I don't even like regular refried beans)--I'd much prefer these skillet black beans--but refried beans can be used as the base for a lot of other fun dishes. And, yep, you guessed it, I'm going to be posting some great ways to USE your refried beans in the near future!! I've adapted this from a recipe originally on Allrecipes that was passed on to me from my friend Kelley C.!
Crock Pot Refried Beans
1 small-med onion, peeled and chopped in half
3 cups dried pinto beans or black beans
1 jalapeno or other pepper, deseeded
half a head of garlic, 6-8 cloves
3 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1/2-1 tsp ground cumin
9 cups water
Throw everything into a crock pot. Cook on high heat for 8 hours. Drain out liquid (reserving a few cups of it). Smash beans (and the mushy onion, garlic, and pepper) with a potato masher, adding cooking liquid as necessary, until you reach your desired consistency.
Notes: I don't get mine super goopy--you easily could get them more smooth with a hand mixer or more water. Adapt this to your tastes with spices, amount of kick, etc.. I usually put a whole teaspoon of cumin in mine. I can't find pinto beans locally, and I don't love them anyway, so I use locally available black beans. Works fine for us! For China people, I know pinto beans are available in some parts of the country and I'm pretty sure I've seen them on Taobao, though I'm not sure what they are called.
Crock Pot Refried Beans
1 small-med onion, peeled and chopped in half
3 cups dried pinto beans or black beans
1 jalapeno or other pepper, deseeded
half a head of garlic, 6-8 cloves
3 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1/2-1 tsp ground cumin
9 cups water
Throw everything into a crock pot. Cook on high heat for 8 hours. Drain out liquid (reserving a few cups of it). Smash beans (and the mushy onion, garlic, and pepper) with a potato masher, adding cooking liquid as necessary, until you reach your desired consistency.
Notes: I don't get mine super goopy--you easily could get them more smooth with a hand mixer or more water. Adapt this to your tastes with spices, amount of kick, etc.. I usually put a whole teaspoon of cumin in mine. I can't find pinto beans locally, and I don't love them anyway, so I use locally available black beans. Works fine for us! For China people, I know pinto beans are available in some parts of the country and I'm pretty sure I've seen them on Taobao, though I'm not sure what they are called.
Love this recipe and can't wait to try it! I can't believe you don't use your crock pot all the time ... how in the world do you ever get dinner on the table with 5 kids? :)
ReplyDeleteHello!. I am new to China (living in the far south) and I have tried cooking these beans just in a pot on the stove. The problems is that my beans keep having a sandy grainy feeling to them. It is very frustrating. I have tried 4 time and 2 out of the 4 have become like sand. I looked online for answers and everyone blames it on putting salt in the water while cooking but that has't helped.
ReplyDeleteOoh goodness, I'm not sure! What beans are you using? I usually use black beans--if anything I can't get them to soften quite enough. I ate at a friend's home last night that made this recipe with pinto beans and hers were very good and the right consistency. I suppose you could try leaving out the salt and adding at the end. Usually the onion will soften up and just become mush. Since you are doing it stovetop, have you soaked the beans overnight first?
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