Time Traveling Table

I am a huge bean lover. Honestly, I could eat beans of all shapes and varieties for every meal and be perfectly happy. Pinto beans are my favorite by a mile, so I went into this recipe pretty confident. After all, I’ve been making beans for years.

What surprised me was how simple these were. My normal bean recipe has a whole collection of spices in it. These beans don’t. Onion, epazote, garlic, salt, and a little manteca do almost all the work.

And somehow, I think these are better.

The people who have been making beans for generations upon generations know how to make beans. Somewhere along the way, I think I convinced myself that more ingredients automatically meant more flavor. This recipe was a good reminder that isn’t always true.

That simplicity is part of why beans were such an important part of daily life in Mexico in 1910. They weren’t just a side dish. They were one of the foundations of the table. Beans provided protein, helped fill hungry stomachs, stretched family food budgets, and paired with almost everything. For many families, a pot of beans was just as essential as tortillas.

If a household had a little extra money, those beans might be refried in manteca for added richness. If not, they were still nourishing and filling straight from the pot. Either way, beans showed up day after day because they were affordable, practical, and delicious.

After making these, I completely understand why. Sometimes a recipe survives for generations because it really is that good.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus optional overnight soak)

Cook Time: 20 minutes using canned beans or 2–3 hours using dried beans

Total Time: 30 minutes to 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 g dried pinto or bayo beans (2½ cups) OR 1.7 kg canned pinto beans (60 oz total)
• 2.5–3 L water (10–12 cups) OR 240–480 ml water or broth (1–2 cups) if using canned beans
• ½ medium white onion
• 2 garlic cloves (optional)
• 2 sprigs epazote
• 10 g salt (2 tsp)

For Refrying

• 45–60 ml manteca (lard) (3–4 tbsp)
• 240–480 ml bean broth, reserved cooking liquid, or water (1–2 cups)

Instructions

If Using Dried Beans

1. Sort the beans and remove any debris or stones. Rinse thoroughly.
2. If desired, soak the beans overnight in water. Drain before cooking.
3. Place the beans, water, onion, garlic, and epazote in a large clay pot or heavy-bottomed pot.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
5. Cook for 2–3 hours, or until the beans are completely tender.
6. Add the salt during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
7. For Frijoles de la Olla, serve the beans with some of their cooking broth.

If Using Canned Beans

8. Combine the beans, onion, garlic, epazote, and water or broth in a large saucepan.
9. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
10. Remove the epazote and adjust salt to taste.

To Make Refried Beans

11. Heat the manteca (lard) in a wide skillet over medium heat.
12. Add the cooked beans and a small amount of bean broth.
13. Mash gently with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.
14. Add additional broth a little at a time until the beans are creamy and spoonable. They should remain slightly rustic rather than perfectly smooth.
15. Cook until thickened to your desired consistency.
16. Serve warm alongside enchiladas, rice, tortillas, or other traditional Mexican dishes.

Notes

• Historically, the beans would have been rustic and slightly textured rather than perfectly smooth.
• Pinto and bayo beans were both common choices in central Mexico during this period.
• Refrying the beans in manteca (lard) creates a richer flavor and reflects the practices of more prosperous households.
• Frijoles de la Olla can be served directly from the cooking pot if you prefer whole beans rather than refried beans.