Translated
to English this means "well-fried beans", not "twice-fried beans".
Before I knew better, I used to buy the canned version when we made
tacos... now that I have discovered how easy it is to make these,
I'll never buy another can. The first thing to know is that my
recipe is not fried -- although the traditional Mexican dish is.
Many different recipes exist; most call for the cooked beans to be
mashed and then fried in either bacon fat or lard or even olive oil.
Since I prefer to leave the extra calories out, I'll share my method and
you can always fry them if you like. Besides, when I first started
to make this dish, all I was interested in was increasing the fiber in
my diet... and doing it in a natural way rather than spending huge sums
on a "store-bought" solution. Also, I use pinto beans, but other
types like red beans or even black beans (really good!)
can be used.
shopping list:
1 1/2 cups dried
beans (a 2-lb bag costs about $1.39 at Aldi and will supply
10-12 cups of cooked beans -- you do the math... one portion is very cheap!)
1 teaspoon cumin (I
buy it in bulk because we use so much of it)
1 teaspoon chili powder
(ditto on the chili powder)
1/8 teaspoon
freshly-ground coriander seeds (I grow my own cilantro in the
summer, then harvest and dry the seeds; I use a mortar & pestle to
grind them. The flavor they add -- kind of a lime-spice -- is
incredible)
1 Tablespoon dried, minced
onion (this is about 1/4 -1/3 Cup of diced fresh onion if you've
got more time to chop them)
1 Tablespoon
freshly-chopped cilantro (always available at the store)
1 Clove garlic (med or
large -- to your taste)
~ 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
or to taste
The directions on the package --
using the "Quick-Soak" method -- are pretty much what I follow.
Measure out 1 1/2 Cups of dry beans; sort and rinse them. They
usually look pretty clean... but there are always a few small
wads of packed soil in every bag, so keep an eye out for them as you
sort, before rinsing them (dirt wads do not taste good!).
Add the rinsed beans to a 2-3 quart stock pot and add 4 1/2 Cups of cold
water. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
Boil for 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat, allowing the beans to soak.
Keep the beans covered and let them sit for at least an hour; I usually
wait two or three hours. Bring beans back to a simmer and cook for
an additional hour or so until quite tender. At this point they
can be used in soups, stews or chili. They can even be served as
is...
I prefer to continue to cook them
until they are soft enough to mash... and I mash them almost to the consistency
of mashed potatoes. Of course at this point one could choose to
fry them in bacon grease or lard as the traditional method calls for.
But personally, I prefer them just mashed. Lauren and I usually have
them for breakfast, but they are also great with lunch or dinner; they
can also easily by used as a dip for tortilla chips in/with tacos, and in
making nachos or taco salads. Whichever way you like, they are an
excellent source of protein, fiber (~14 grams per cup of cooked beans), are low
in calories (~60 Calories per cup of cooked beans) and no fat... unless
you add it. And best of all, they taste really good -- much better
than the stuff that comes in the can! Bon Appetite!
Translated
to English this means "well-fried beans", not "twice-fried beans".
Before I knew better, I used to buy the canned version when we made
tacos... now that I have discovered how easy it is to make these,
I'll never buy another can. The first thing to know is that my
recipe is not fried -- although the traditional Mexican dish is.
Many different recipes exist; most call for the cooked beans to be
mashed and then fried in either bacon fat or lard or even olive oil.
Since I prefer to leave the extra calories out, I'll share my method and
you can always fry them if you like. Besides, when I first started
to make this dish, all I was interested in was increasing the fiber in
my diet... and doing it in a natural way rather than spending huge sums
on a "store-bought" solution. Also, I use pinto beans, but other
types like red beans or even black beans (really good!)
can be used.
The directions on the package --
using the "Quick-Soak" method -- are pretty much what I follow.
Measure out 1 1/2 Cups of dry beans; sort and rinse them. They
usually look pretty clean... but there are always a few small
wads of packed soil in every bag, so keep an eye out for them as you
sort, before rinsing them (dirt wads do not taste good!).
Add the rinsed beans to a 2-3 quart stock pot and add 4 1/2 Cups of cold
water. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
Boil for 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat, allowing the beans to soak.
Keep the beans covered and let them sit for at least an hour; I usually
wait two or three hours. Bring beans back to a simmer and cook for
an additional hour or so until quite tender. At this point they
can be used in soups, stews or chili. They can even be served as
is... 
I prefer to continue to cook them
until they are soft enough to mash... and I mash them almost to the consistency
of mashed potatoes. Of course at this point one could choose to
fry them in bacon grease or lard as the traditional method calls for.
But personally, I prefer them just mashed. Lauren and I usually have
them for breakfast, but they are also great with lunch or dinner; they
can also easily by used as a dip for tortilla chips in/with tacos, and in
making nachos or taco salads. Whichever way you like, they are an
excellent source of protein, fiber (~14 grams per cup of cooked beans), are low
in calories (~60 Calories per cup of cooked beans) and no fat... unless
you add it. And best of all, they taste really good -- much better
than the stuff that comes in the can! Bon Appetite!
