Frijoles Refritos (Well-fried beans)

2 cups cooked beans, with 2 cups cooking broth

3 tablespoons melted lard, pork drippings, canola or olive oil

2 oz queso fresco or Monterey Jack cheese, crumbled

Lettuce leaves, loosely torn

Tortilla chips

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over high. Add 1 cup beans and mash well with a wooden spoon or bean masher. (Be careful, the oil splatters as you add the beans.) Add broth and the rest of the beans gradually, mashing them all the time, until you have a coarse puree.

Lower heat to medium. When the puree begins to dry out and sizzle at the edges, it will start to come away from the surface of the pan. As it cooks, tip the pan from side to side. The puree will form itself into a loose roll. This will take 15 to 20 minutes. (You have to fry the beans almost dry to form the traditional bean roll, or brazo. You can also fry them to a loose paste to serve with eggs or other main dishes.)

Tip the roll, rather like folding an omelet, onto the serving dish and garnish with cheese, lettuce and tortilla chips.

Leftovers freeze well. To reheat, defrost the beans and fry in a bit more oil, adding water if dry.