Refried+Beans

Pinto Bean Recipes For Refried Beans

 * 2 cups pinto beans


 * 2/3 to 3/4 cup vegetable oil


 * 1 bulb of [|roasted garlic], approximately 6 or 7 cloves


 * 2 - 3 tsp seasalt, depending on how much salt you like


 * 1 large bay leaf


 * 1 finely chopped tomato, vine ripened or home grown


 * 4 quart pot

First pour your beans out on a table or cutting board. Sort through them and discard any rocks or shriveled beans. This shouldn't take but a couple of minutes to do.
 * Directions:**

Put the beans in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Pour the beans into a pot. Add 8 cups of cold water and the bay leaf. Put the stove burner on high and cover partially with a lid. As soon as the beans start to boil, lower the heat a little but still **continue to boil.** Cook for **2 hours** and keep **adding water** as it cooks away. Stir occasionally. Keep the water level at 2 inches above the beans.

After two hours of cooking, the beans should be **soft and darker brown** in color. If not cook them another 20 to 30 minutes. Then **add** the oil, salt, tomato, and roasted garlic.

You can slide the roasted garlic out of it's sleeve in the bulb, right into the beans.

After adding the salt etc. bring the beans to a boil again and lower the heat to low. You want to cook them on a **slow boil** for an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You will need to **stir** them occasionally to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
 * Important:**
 * Do not add salt before the two hours of cooking or your beans will never soften up.**

** A Little Secret To Great Flavor **
To get the best flavor, simmer your beans 1- 1 1/2 hour or **as long as you can** with all the spices and oil. The longer these pinto bean recipes simmer, the **better they will taste.** After 1 to 1 1/2 hours, it seems like all the beans want to do is stick to the pot. This is the point where you turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and mash them with a potato masher. You have just completed one of the best pinto bean recipes around. Enjoy.