Note: Freshly cooked pink beans or light red kidney beans, mashed and cooked in a skillet with bacon drippings, lard, oil, or butter or margarine, are called Refried Beans, whether they are fried just once or several times.

TO PREPARE REFRIED BEANS

Drain hot cooked beans, saving their liquid.  Allow 1 cup drained beans for each person.  For each cup of beans, heat 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or oil in a heavy skillet.  Add a few spoonfuls of beans at a time, and mash with potato masher or wooden spoon before adding more.  Add a little bean liquid and more fat from time to time as needed.  Continue to fry, stirring often, until the beans are dry enough to loosen easily from bottom of pan.  If you can manage it, slide the mass to one side and flip it over like a pancake or simply spoon onto serving plates; or shape roughly into a roll on a platter and garnish with shredded lettuce, raw onions and grated cheese.

*For best results, soak and cook beans according to preferred cooking method found on this site.