By Spring is trying to happen in Hartford. The snow is melting and the ground is showing itself for the first time in months and there are tiny green things pushing up through the brown that might be crocuses or might be weeds but either way they are alive and that is enough. I hate winter with the passion of a woman who was born in the Caribbean, but I love the moment winter breaks, the moment the cold gives up and the sun comes back and the air smells like mud and possibility.
At the hospital, spring means allergy season, which means more patients, which means more trays, which means Carmen is busy, which means Carmen is happy because Carmen happy and Carmen busy are the same thing. I updated the spring menu — lighter soups, more salads, a citrus chicken that I am particularly proud of because I marinated it in naranja agria, sour orange, the way Mami marinates everything, and the flavors are bright and clean and taste like the island in spring.
Rosa came for Sunday dinner and she brought Carlos. CARLOS. The social worker from the Bronx. She brought him to the table, which means this is serious, because Rosa does not bring casual to my table, I have said this before and I will say it again. Carlos walked into my house and he was tall and serious and had kind eyes and I shook his hand and said, Sit down. Eat. I served him three plates. He ate all three. He ate the tostones with his hands. He complimented the arroz con gandules. He asked for the recipe for the habichuelas. This man asked for my bean recipe. My BEAN recipe. On the first visit.
I turned to Eduardo after dinner and said, He asked for the bean recipe. Eduardo said, Is that good? I said, Eduardo, nobody asks for the bean recipe on the first visit unless they are genuinely interested in the food, which means they are genuinely interested in the family, which means they are serious about Rosa. Eduardo said, Or he just likes beans. I said, Eduardo, sometimes you are impossible. He smiled. He knows I am right. I am always right about the people at my table. Seven minutes, remember? Seven minutes to know. Carlos passed in four.
Called Mami. Told her Rosa brought a man home. She said, Is he Puerto Rican? I said, No, he is from the Bronx. She said, That is close enough. What did he eat? I said, Everything. She said, Keep him. My mother, the judge and jury of romantic suitability, and her only criterion is appetite. I love this woman more than words can hold.
When a man asks for the bean recipe on his first visit, you do not hand him a printed card—you make them again, slower this time, thinking about what it means that he asked. These are the beans Carlos ate that night, the ones that apparently said something about this family worth knowing. I’ve been making them in the slow cooker for years because the long, unhurried cook time suits them; good things shouldn’t be rushed, and neither should the kind of people who earn a seat at this table.
The Best Refried Beans {Made in the Slow Cooker and Fat-Free}
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours | Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried pinto beans (or pink beans for a Puerto Rican-style habichuelas flavor), rinsed and picked over
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Load the slow cooker. Add the rinsed beans, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and black pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and water. Stir to combine.
- Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours, until the beans are completely tender and beginning to break down on their own. Do not add salt until after cooking, as early salting can toughen the bean skins.
- Season and mash. Stir in the kosher salt and lime juice. Use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to mash the beans directly in the slow cooker to your desired consistency — leave some whole for texture, or mash fully for smooth refried beans.
- Adjust consistency. If the beans are thicker than you like, stir in additional warm broth or water a few tablespoons at a time until they reach a creamy, spreadable texture. They will thicken as they cool.
- Taste and finish. Taste and adjust salt, cumin, or lime juice as needed. Serve hot, topped with fresh cilantro.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 1g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 390mg