Refried beans

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Refried beans (frijoles refritos) is a dish of cooked and mashed beans and a traditional staple of Mexican cuisine, Central American cuisine, and the cuisine of the Southwestern United States.

1 Ingredients and preparation
2 Usage
3 Language
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Ingredients and preparation

Refried beans are prepared with either black or pinto bean. Once the beans have been prepared charola style (i.e. the raw beans are soaked overnight and then stewed) they are drained of most of the liquid remaining, made into a paste with a bean masher (same as a potato masher, or in its absence, a fork or the back of a large flat spoon) and fried with lard or vegetable oil, typically in a cast iron pot or skillet. Often, onion, garlic, and spices are sautéed in the oil before the beans are added. The recooked beans are then partially or completely mashed and bean or chicken stock is added if the consistency is too dry.

[edit] Usage

In a home meal, refried beans typically serve as the main food accompanied by smaller, more strongly flavored dishes, but they may also be served as a side dish accompanying a larger meal, or rolled in a tortilla to form a bean burrito.

In the US, refried beans have become a very popular dip for corn tortilla chips, while this usage has never really caught on in its native Mexico. Refried beans are also a primary ingredient in many tostadas, chimichangas and pupusas recipes. In addition, they are a typical ingredient in layered dips, such as seven layer dip, in nachos, and are especially implied when a dish is referred to as nachos grande.

A typical dish, similar to enchiladas is enfrijoladas wherein slightly fried tortillas are slathered in the bean paste from frijoles refritos.

[edit] Language

The English term "refried," often interpreted as "fried again," is a mistranslation of the Spanish prefix re- as a shortening of the word "refrito," meaning "over." In fact, the beans are fried only once and the term refrito is actually a reference to overfrying the bean paste so that it dries out to retain a shape for serving purposes:

Several people have asked me why, when the beans are fried, they are called refried. Nobody I asked in Mexico seemed to know until quite suddenly it dawned on me. The Mexicans have a habit a qualifying a word to emphasize the meaning by adding the prefix re-. They will get the oil very hot (requemar), or something will be very good (retebien). Thus refrito beans are well fried, which they certainly are, since they are fried until they are almost dry.^[1]