(Serves 6-8)
2½ cups (1 lb) pinto beans
½ yellow or white onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp salt
12 tblsp lard, bacon fat or shortening (¾ cup)
12 cups (3 qts) water to 5 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base (or chicken stock, enough to simmer the beans for 2½ hours)
1 tsp ancho chili powder
Pick through the beans to remove any foreign objects and rinse them. Soak the beans for in water for 8-12 hours, draining and rinsing them every three hours.
Bring the beans to a boil with the chicken stock, add the onion and garlic, reduce heat and simmer for 2½ hours.
Working in two batches, in a large frying pan heat 6 tblsp of the lard or bacon fat on medium-low heat, add ½ the beans and their liquid into the hot fat, yes this is going to spatter, be careful, also add half the chili powder in each batch, fry for 8-10 minutes until most of the liquid is gone. You can use a potato masher to mash them at this point, or if you have an immersion blender, you can wait until both batches are together and then us the blender on them. Then you can blend the onion remnants as well!
Taste, add the salt if needed.