Annaley's Prairie Fire Beans

This is a family recipe from Number One's grandma, Annaley. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet her, I've heard she was quite a lady. And with recipes like this as her legacy, it's easy to believe.

Spring always brings these beans to mind, as we are lucky to eat them at least once at this time of year, at the annual Bull Sale. It's coming up this year on April 12. We just couldn't wait until then for Prairie Fire, we had to make some!

**Note: this recipe makes a ton of beans. I mean it. I have a huge pot here, full of beans. Annaley used to feed herds of cowboys from her kitchen, you can tell that from this recipe. Good thing we love them! If you have a bunch of cowboys around, no need to double this recipe!


2 quarts pinto beans
2 small or 1 large ham hock
2 cups grated onion
1/2 lb. butter
1 lb. grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 large cans diced chili peppers
6 large garlic cloves, diced
1 Tbsp. diced jalapenos (more if you like it fiery)
salt and pepper to taste

Pick over and wash pinto beans.
Soak beans in cool water overnight. Drain.
Add ham hocks, and add water to cover beans. Cook until beans are soft and water reduced (pour off excess water). Remove ham hocks.
Add: onions, chili peppers, garlic, jalapenos, butter and salt to taste.
Cook slowly until onions are soft.
Turn off heat and add grated cheese.
Stir gently.
Keep warm, serve.


*This time, I did things a bit differently. First, I fried the onions in a bit of lard, perhaps 3 Tbsp. or so (I didn't measure). I gently fried them for about 10 minutes, until they were nice and browned. Then I added the beans, ham hocks and water. Then I did everything else the way it's listed up there. And they turned out perfectly.

Frijoles Refritos

Classic Mexican Refried Beans

In order to make authentic and delicious refried beans, and keep your cowboy happy, of course, you need to start by making Frijoles de la Olla (Mexican Pot Beans). If you've already got some Frijoles in the freezer and you've just been waiting for the Frijoles Refritos recipe, go ahead and start thawing them out. You'll need about 4 cups of Pot Beans.

This recipe is also from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. Buy it if you can find a copy, you won't be sorry.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups, 6 generous servings

2 Tablespoons lard (I don't measure this. You shouldn't either. Just use a generous amount)

1 medium white onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

4 cups undrained, seasoned cooked beans (you can use practically any variety here, either canned or homemade), preferably slightly warm for easy mashing

Salt, if necessary

About 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Mexican queso fresco, queso anejo, pressed, salted farmer's cheese, dry feta or Parmesan, for garnish

Handful of tortilla chips, for garnish

1. Frying and mashing the beans. In a large (10- to 12-inch) well-seasoned or nonstick skillet, heat the lard over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 10 minutes. (just like you did for your Frijoles de la Olla). Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute or so, then use a slotted spoon to scoop in about 1/4 of the beans, leaving most of the liquid behind. With a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, mash the beans into a coarse puree. Add another portion of the beans, mash them in, and continue until all of the beans have been added and coarsely mashed.

Add about a cup of bean liquid (or water if you have no liquid) and stir frequently over the heat until the beans are still a little soupier than you'd like to serve them (they'll thicken as they sit--[Rick likes his] finished beans the consistency of soft mashed potatoes). The total cooking and mashing time will take 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.

2. Serving the beans. Spoon the beans onto a warm serving platter (or onto individual plates), sprinkle with crumbled cheese, decorate with tortilla chips, and they're ready.

Advance Preparation: The finished beans can be covered and refrigerated for several days. Add more water or bean liquid, as needed, to thin them while reheating.


We like to roll these up in tortillas with some queso fresco and salsa. Or sometimes serve 'em on the side of our famous Grilled Lamb Tacos. Yeehaw!

Frijoles de la Olla...A Big Pot o' Beans!

Frijoles de la Olla con Queso Fresco y Tortilla
(Classic Mexican Pot Beans with Fresh Mexican Cheese and Tortilla)

These beans are some of the best you'll eat. I'm not kidding. The original recipe came from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen. If you love authentic Mexican food, and you can find this cookbook (there are just a few used copies on amazon) you should buy it. I have modified his recipe somewhat, so you will get my recipe. Guess it will be a "secreto" no longer...


And, before we begin, I feel like I must say this. Do not fear the lard. I'm serious. Lard is what gives these beans the best authentic flavor they can produce. There may not be another smell in the world that smells quite as good as onions fryin' in lard, you'll see. (perhaps the scent of the nape of a young boy's neck, but honestly it's a toss-up). Just remember, it's not like you're going to eat these each and every day for the rest of your life. Although after you taste them, perhaps you might be tempted. Lard is your friend. I'm not kidding. It will treat you and your taste buds well. (and if you don't eat them every day, it won't harm your arteries either).

This recipe as is makes 7 to 8 cups, serving 8 to 10 as a side dish. Sometimes we just eat the beans in bowls, or use the beans to make burritos, with some sour cream and cheese rolled up in tortillas. That is how much we love them. This recipe is also the basis for several other bean dishes, namely and most importantly Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans). But for now, here we go:

1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dry beans (we usually use pinto, but you can use black, pinto, pink, kidney or navy.)

3 Tablespoons lard (for heaven's sakes, don't measure. Just scoop out a big hunk of lard. I usually use a bit more.)

1 medium white onion, diced

Salt, about 1 1/2 teaspoons

We usually use organic pinto beans, but I didn't have any.

So today we're using organic white navy beans.

1. Cooking the beans. Rinse and sort the beans thoroughly. Put the lard in a large (5- to 6-quart) pot and set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until deep golden, at least 10 minutes. Sometimes 20 minutes. Here's a picture of onions that are not done, although a few of them are golden:


And here is the way I do it. These onions are just perfect:


Scoop in the beans, measure in 2 quarts of water, and remove any beans that float. Onions that float are just fine.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are thoroughly tender, at least 2 hours, depending on the type and freshness of your beans (there should be no chalkiness at all when you break a bean open. You can see chalkiness, and you can also taste it, it's a bit crunchy. Just make sure your beans are perfectly done).

You'll need to gently stir the beans regularly and add water as necessary to keep the liquid a generous 1/2 inch above the level of the beans. (I have to admit, my beans have now been simmering away for almost 2 1/2 hours, and I have not stirred them once. No biggie.)

2. Finishing the beans. Season with salt to taste, simmer another 10 to 15 minutes for the beans to absorb the seasoning, then remove from the heat, and they're ready to serve (to serve a bowl of beans, there should be just enough of the slightly creamy broth to cover the beans; for the best texture in both beans and broth, let the pot cool completely, then reheat before serving. If you can possibly wait that long.)

Advance Preparation--Covered and refrigerated, beans keep for at least 4 days. Reheat slowly, stirring often to prevent sticking.

I also freeze beans all the time! Today I made a double batch, yes two whole pounds of beans, and I will freeze more than half of those. Divide them into meal-sized (four-cup) containers, leaving room at the top for expansion, then freeze. Whenever you need some beans, take them out and gently reheat them in a pot. Or, you could take them out and convert them into delicious Refried Beans!

And would you just break down and try the lard already? I mean it.