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Re-fried Black Beans

AKA frijoles refritos negros. Delicious with rice or in tortillas for ultimate tent tacos.
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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g dried black beans
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried epazote optional
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 onion-halved
  • A sprinkle of fresh thyme
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 red chillies deseeded and finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp epazote optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 orange juice of
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • lots of chopped coriander
  • brown sugar
  • salt and pepper
Garnishes
  • cheese
  • avocado
  • sour cream
  • fresh or pickled chillies
  • fresh coriander
  • pink pickled onions
  • hot sauce

Method
 

At home
  1. Soak the beans in lots of water overnight.
  2. Next day drain the beans and rinse them, checking for any stray stones.
  3. Boil in plenty of water with the bay, half onion, garlic and epazote until tender, which takes 1-2 hours-keep checking the level of the water and top up a little if the beans are drying out. When the beans are soft remove the onion and bay, drain and set aside.
  4. In a large saucepan, fry the onion in the olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and chilli to the onion and fry until fragrant. Then add the paprika, epazote, coriander & cumin and quickly stir-fry.
  5. Add the cooked beans, orange & lime juice and cook gently until the beans begin to break down and the fruit juice has been absorbed. Add a little water if the mix gets too thick and then taste-add sugar, salt and pepper to your taste.
For dehydrated refried black beans
  1. Let the refried beans cool thoroughly.Spread the chilli on dehydrator trays covered with non-stick sheets or parchment paper.
  2. Dehydrate at 63C/145F for 8-10 hours, until totally dry (to speed things up a bit, you can check the chilli after a few hours, peel the partially dried chilli off these sheet, and finish drying on the mesh dehydrator mats).
  3. Once totally dry, pack the chilli into zip lock bags or use a vacuum sealer which will allow for a longer shelf life.
  4. On the trail
On the trail
  1. Put the veggie chilli in a pot and pour water over to cover.
  2. Place the pot on your stove and heat until boiling. Turn off the heat, cover, and wait for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Give the refried beans a stir and check if they're fully rehydrated. Add more water to suit your desired consistency. Turn on the stove again and heat until piping hot.
  4. Serve with rice or tortillas and those tasty garnishes that you’ll be so happy you carried with you!