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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
  

  • 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

Instructions
 

At home

  • Soak the beans in lots of water overnight.
  • Next day drain the beans and rinse them, checking for any stray stones.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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

  • Let the refried beans cool thoroughly.Spread the chilli on dehydrator trays covered with non-stick sheets or parchment paper.
  • 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).
  • Once totally dry, pack the chilli into zip lock bags or use a vacuum sealer which will allow for a longer shelf life.
  • On the trail

On the trail

  • Put the veggie chilli in a pot and pour water over to cover.
  • Place the pot on your stove and heat until boiling. Turn off the heat, cover, and wait for 5-10 minutes.
  • 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.
  • Serve with rice or tortillas and those tasty garnishes that you’ll be so happy you carried with you!