Sart with a 1 lb bag of pinto beans washed and picked for rocks, etc. Rinse the beans under cold water. After rinsing, add beans to a large kettle of cold water.
Add 1/4 of a medium onion in slices. Add 1 jalapeno pepper cut into slices. Add 4 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Cook, covered on low until beans are ready, adding water as needed to ensure that they do not boil dry.
Once beans are ready, heat a large frying pan with 1/4 cup cooking oil. When oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and add the chile arbol peppers, frying them in the oil until the oil tints a light red color.
Once oil is tinted red, remove the chile arbol. Scoop out the beans from the other kettle by the cup full and slowly add into the hot oil making sure to drain as much water from the beans as possible to prevent the oil from splattering.
Once all the beans are added, then you simply fry them for approximately 3 to 4 minutes until you are able to mash them easily. Use a potato masher to mash the beans. As you mash them, you will add water from the bean kettle to the fying beans until you have a refried bean consistency (like in the restaurants).
After you achieve this, you can add salt to taste as desired. Be certain not to add too much salt, as the salt will take some time to dissolve completely into the beans; so remember less is more in this case.
This recipe has an excellent flavor and IS ***NOT**** hot or spicy at all.
Submitted by: B. Macias
