I am sure many other reviewers will mention the various ways to cut the fat, but lard is the deal-breaker that makes authentic refried beans in Tucson, AZ. I have used this recipe before and I like it, although I also add wads of fresh chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon of cumin once the beans cook down a bit. Big deal: make sure you slowly add HOT water (better yet: HOT chicken broth) when cooking beans; it significantly cuts down on the potential starchy-bland flavor that can occur (got that advice from a Mexican cooking pro). Finally, for you sodium watchers...as this recipe cooks down, the salty taste will become more prominent. Add salt in 1/4 teaspoon increments near the end of cooking; let it "meld" and taste often. Cook as slow as possible. This is not a recipe that you throw together, as simple as it looks. But if you are wanting authentic tasting frijoles, without soaking (and slow-cooking) dried pinto beans for hours...this is darned close to the real thing!

I used the general guidlines from this recipe to make refried beans from fresh cooked pinto beans that we had for dinner tonight. I used 45 oz of fresh cooked beans without broth (I cook my pinto beans in chicken broth with a ham bone for flavor). I ran them through my food processor to make them smooth and mixed them in with the 1/2 cup of butter (instead of lard). I cooked them to the paste consistency as stated, added the salt and then mixed in 1 cup of broth from the beans (still warm from cooking them). I then cooked it down to the desired consistency and froze them in 8 oz portions for later use.

This is a good simple recipe that holds true to refried beans. I didn't have lard on hand so I used butter. I've watched women make refried beans in the villages of Mexico with just plain old vegetable oil, so that is an option in a pinch too. When I cooked these I mashed them with the back of the spoon to expedite the process. Super easy & tasty! To give them a little more flavor without adding texture, I added a couple spoons of the watery juice from some salsa. **update** I tried again with lard, like the butter version better. Also, a pinch of episote helps to make it a little more authentic tasting. Salt IS important. I made Texas style baked beans for my DDs B-day one year and all the neighbor kids thought the silly gringa mixed up the sugar with the salt, LOL!

These are the best homemade refried beans ever! I happened to be cooking bacon for another use, so I used half butter, half bacon grease (no lard on hand). And, I used the liquid from the beans instead of water. Very few dishes in my kitchen escape without garlic, so a good heaping Tbsp. of minced garlic and a small can of diced green chiles sauteed in the bacon grease before adding the beans worked perfectly. And, I topped the beans with grated Pepper Jack cheese. Mmmm.... My family is still shocked that they are getting real refried beans, not out of a can, at home! We even like these better than our favorite Mexican restaurant's. Thank you Buffy.

I made this following the recommendation to gradually add HOT chicken broth rather than water. The flavor was quite good, but mine didn't end up being very creamy. I think I may have added the broth too soon though, so I'm going ahead with the four star rating.

After making these, my husband will never allow me to use canned refried beans again! These are very good and very easy. I did not use lard, because I didn't have it at the time. I used bacon fat mixed with a little vegetable oil, and they were awesome!

I made these for a cinco de mayo party. Everybody enjoyed them. I used vegetable oil instead of and added cumin, tabasco and adobe seasoning.

For being so simple this turned out really well. I saved a bit of bacon grease from breakfast and combined that with oil in lieu of the lard. I also used chicken broth and added one chipotle pepper in adobe sauce. These were very good and enjoyed by all. Thanks.

I have made this a few times now. Started with the basic recipe and in the end have made a couple of changes. The first is to replace the water with chicken broth. Added 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder. I serve it topped with shreaded mexican blend cheese, a little taco sauce, and diced green onions. I will not buy canned refried beans again.

These were very good, but needed more spices and less lard. First time using canned pintos. They're good.