“There are lots of different kinds of refried beans throughout El Salvador, but in some mountain towns, you’ll get these amazing, really dense beans,” says chef Anthony Salguero of Popoca in Oakland. “My cousin calls them triple-fried, but it’s more like a thousand times fried. You just keep adding fat until the beans are thick enough to stand up on a plate, which is very common as part of a Salvadoran breakfast, with tortillas, eggs, fried plantains, avocado, and queso. They’re often made with lard, but I make mine with olive oil. It’s a little healthier, plus I’m cooking in California, so I try to be respectful of vegetarians who come in.” Serve these very rich beans in modest dollops with sour cream and avocado for scooping up with thick Salvadoran-style corn tortillas.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
16
3
¼
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Pulse garlic in a food processor until very finely chopped. Scrape into a small bowl. Pulse beans and 3 Tbsp. water in processor (no need to clean) until a coarse paste forms, about 2 minutes.
Step 2
Heat lard in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until lightly golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Immediately add beans, jalapeño, and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring and folding in beans with a heatproof rubber spatula, until incorporated and beans turn a shade darker, about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium-low, add ¼ cup oil and cook, stirring often, until oil is absorbed and beans start to dry out at edges, about 5 minutes or so. Continue to cook, adding remaining oil by ¼-cupfuls every 5 minutes and stirring occasionally, until very thick and dark, 15–20 minutes. Discard jalapeño. Season with more salt if needed. Serve with sour cream, avocado, and tortillas.
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Reviews (8)
Back to TopAbsolutely delicious! I didn't use about a 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Next time I might use even less since it's maybe a bit too rich for a weekday meal.
Anonymous
Brooklyn, NY
9/6/2021
In El Salvador, we use red kidney beans, not the black beans the recipe calls for. Most cooks add green bell pepper, instead of a jalapeño, and a pinch of cumin. If using olive oil instead of lard, we add an equal amount of butter, for added flavor.
Anonymous
El Salvador
10/10/2020
This is a simple but delicious treat for breakfast!
Anonymous
London
10/6/2020
Got the magazine yesterday, saw this, made it today. It's wonderful! I'm really happy and vampire-proof. Friends, splurge on the good olive oil. Always, but especially here.
jonkmartin703587
Indianapolis,IN
9/26/2020