Refried beans

Soak one pound of pinto beans in cold water 10 to 12 hours, then drain.

Put the beans in a stock pot with peeled garlic, a couple of pinches of dried epazote and cold fresh water. No salt yet.

Bring to a boil on high, stir, drop to low and simmer uncovered about an hour and a half, until the beans are soft.

Melt about half a cup of lard in a pan over medium-high heat.

Add the diced onion and kosher salt and cook, hotter and longer than usual, until some of the onion starts to brown.

Add minced serrano pepper and a little dried chipotle and cook one minute.

Lift the beans out with a spider strainer rather than draining them, and keep every drop of the cooking liquid.

Smash about half the beans in the pan, with a potato masher or the back of a spoon, before adding any liquid.

Reduce to medium and keep cooking, stirring, smashing and mashing while adding the cooking liquid, until the thickness and smoothness wanted is reached. He generally uses all the liquid.

Refried does not mean fried again: it translates as well-fried, cooked so well the beans turn into a saucy paste.

Taste and adjust the salt, which matters more here than anything else.

Serve, running a spoon over the surface to make ridges and gullies, since the shadows break up a flat unattractive surface, and garnish with queso fresco and a herb sprig.

For nachos, keep it loose enough to spoon over chips, top with plenty of cheese and some sliced peppers, and put it under the broiler.