# Cooking beans for refried beans?



## Chile Chef (Dec 23, 2009)

I'm going to be cooking beans in my dutch oven after christmas and I need to know when I throw the cooked ham hocks in the beans?


I will be cooking kidneys beans, and red beans for the re fried beans and there is basically NO salt what so ever in it. 

Only salt that will be in the beans would be the ham hocks.


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## Wyogal (Dec 23, 2009)

Why kidney beans? I like to use pinto beans.  Here are some links that you find useful:
refried beans from scratch - Google Search


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## Chile Chef (Dec 23, 2009)

Wyogal said:


> Why kidney beans? I like to use pinto beans. Here are some links that you find useful:
> refried beans from scratch - Google Search


Thanks for the link Wyogal, It's a matter of taste really, and I like the kidney beans texture along with red beans, Thats how I made them last time. By the way time I like to add the ham hock, I forgot last time, lol.


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## Wyogal (Dec 23, 2009)

Salt inhibits the softening of the beans, but I know folks that add the ham hock at the beginning, anyway. I've also done it separately, cooking the beans until tender, then adding the ham hock and some of the broth that I've simmered the meat in towards the end of cooking.
I've also done refried beans without hamhocks, just simmered the beans with some onion, celery, bay leaf for flavor, then take them out (large chunks), then added some fat (butter), and some cumin towards the end when I mashed the beans and "refried" them.


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## Michael in FtW (Dec 23, 2009)

I'm with Wyogal - all you need is pintos. I, personally, would not use kidney beans - but that's just my personal taste and you can use just about any bean you want. And, I'm one of those those folks who puts the hock in at the beginning, well, actually I simmer the hock for a couple of hours first and then add in my soaked beans. I don't find the amount of salt in the hocks makes much difference done this way.


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## Wyogal (Dec 23, 2009)

I really don't like kidney beans at all, the skins are too tough for my liking. I like a more tender red bean, but prefer a pinto. I'd like to try the beans that are with the Mexican foods in our grocery store. They are brown, not really a pinto bean, and a bit more expensive.


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## Chile Chef (Dec 23, 2009)

Wyogal said:


> Salt inhibits the softening of the beans, but I know folks that add the ham hock at the beginning, anyway. I've also done it separately, cooking the beans until tender, then adding the ham hock and some of the broth that I've simmered the meat in towards the end of cooking.
> I've also done refried beans without hamhocks, just simmered the beans with some onion, celery, bay leaf for flavor, then take them out (large chunks), then added some fat (butter), and some cumin towards the end when I mashed the beans and "refried" them.


 


Wyogal said:


> I really don't like kidney beans at all, the skins are too tough for my liking. I like a more tender red bean, but prefer a pinto. I'd like to try the beans that are with the Mexican foods in our grocery store. They are brown, not really a pinto bean, and a bit more expensive.


 Thanks guys, What should I do about the salt problem? Sould I leave them in the water longer then normal until they're tender on their own?


I really don't want to add any salt if I have too. Could any other spice make them more tender then salt?


By the way these are for my tomales.


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## Wyogal (Dec 23, 2009)

I wouldn't add the ham hocks at all. Use other things for flavor, like cumin, chilies, onion, etc. Then you don't need to worry about the salt at all. Salt does not make beans tender, quite the opposite. Salt just ups the "flavor." Cooking beans until done is what makes them tender, and you only need water for that.
Are they for a tamale filling????


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## licia (Dec 23, 2009)

It is a myth that salt inhibits tenderness in the cooking of beans.  I've always added salt in the beginning and have had no problem with the beans being tender - using OLD beans will keep them tough.


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## Wyogal (Dec 23, 2009)

Interesting site:
Beans : Truth About Food : Discovery Health


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## Alix (Dec 23, 2009)

I'm singing...Beans beans the musical fruit


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## Chile Chef (Dec 23, 2009)

Wyogal said:


> I wouldn't add the ham hocks at all. Use other things for flavor, like cumin, chilies, onion, etc. Then you don't need to worry about the salt at all. Salt does not make beans tender, quite the opposite. Salt just ups the "flavor." Cooking beans until done is what makes them tender, and you only need water for that.
> Are they for a tamale filling????


Yes they're for tomales, It's going to be Masa dough, refried beans, lamb w/ taco seasing I made, Mozalla cheese, And that's it. 

then the night after christmas it's going to be home made burito's with hamburger and home made taco seasinng. And maranara sauce ( just a little tiny bit of the sauce will be on each burito )


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## Wyogal (Dec 23, 2009)

Interesting blend of flavors...


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## Chile Chef (Dec 23, 2009)

Wyogal said:


> Interesting blend of flavors...


I think so to, thats why I make the blend I make.


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## wanna be (Dec 23, 2009)

When I use ham hocks or ham shanks in my beans I useally add them after the beans begin to boil.They are there to add flavor to the broth and I feel the longer the better.You just have to watch them to make sure they don't begin to break up.Those little bones are hard to find in a big pot of beans.As far as adding salt too soon I have never noticed a differance either way, though I do tend to season near the end.I have found that flavoring the oils that you use to fry the beans in is a great advantage.I would'nt worry about makeing pretty perfict beans because your just going to mash them up anyway.


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## Silversage (Dec 25, 2009)

Alix said:


> I'm singing...Beans beans the musical fruit



Beans, beans, the musical fruit.
The more you eat, the more you toot.
The more you toot, the better you feel.
So let's have beans for every meal!


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## Chile Chef (Dec 26, 2009)

The burrito's where so dang good, We actually went to the Mexican store and purchased some of the flour tortillas that just came out of the oven, or how ever they made them.

By the way the only salt that was in the fixings where the cheese, and the meat, and the flour tortilla.


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