Wow, zindc's recipe sounds amazing! I usually make refried beans about once a week, but I just fly by the seat of my pants every time. I use black beans more than pintos (just a remnant of my childhood). I cook up a pressure cooker full of beans, freeze half and use half. I use lard, bacon fat, if I have it, or butter. Brown chopped onions (one or two) in plenty of fat, like 2 or 3 tablespoons, or more. More fat makes the texture more pleasant (you know how beans can have that sort of dry interior? It goes away with fat added). I know you're supposed to add spices at the beginning, before the onions, but I usually add them at the end, when the onions are already brown. And maybe a few cloves of garlic, minced. I like about 1T coriander, 1-2t cumin, 1t-1T chili powder (I use Ancho), and salt, for about 2 cups of cooked beans. I like to save the cooking water to add, instead of tapwater, but some people claim the cooking water needs to be discarded. My family doesn't have any issues with it.

When you add the beans and water to the onions, if the beans are fully cooked, you really just need them to heat up, and then you can get right to mashing. I've never pureed them with a stick blender, though that does sound lovely. I like them chunky, so I just use a potato masher. Then, I admit, I usually add more fat at the end, to finish it.

Don't forget to get some really good sour cream!

If you're looking for Texan, check out the Homesick Texan blog:
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/
Are we just thinking Tex-Mex here? Surely we can go farther afield?

I make frijoles refritos a lot, sometimes with lard and sometimes with olive oil, depending on whether my vegetarian daughter will be eating them. They taste more authentically Mexican with lard, so your pork belly is perfect--it's what I use to make homemade lard. Just trim the pork fat into cubes and put some in an enameled cast iron pot in a 300 degree oven. (If the belly is meaty, you can use the meat portion of the pork belly in other ways.) Spoon out the liquid fat into a receptacle and keep going until all you have left is cracklings. For the beans--soak overnight or cover with water and bring to a boil, then let sit for an hour. Sauté a chopped onion in some of the rendered pork fat, the add a generous amount of ground cumin to bloom it with the onion. Drain the beans and add to the pot. Add a few allspice berries or a little bit of ground allspice, some oregano (preferably Mexican oregano), a few bay leaves, a piece of celery with leaves attached, a small carrot. (optional additions: fresh epazote or avocado leaf, which can be fresh or dried). Cover with water, bring to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer for a half hour before adding any salt. Start with one teaspoon per pound of beans--you can add more later, if needed. Keep adding hot water as needed while the pot simmers to keep the beans covered. Cook until very tender. When beans are completely soft, remove the bay and avocado leaves, allspice berries, and then puree with an immersion blender or mash with a potato masher until you have a soupy consistency. If too watery, cook on low heat to reduce, stirring frequently as the beans will stick to the bottom of the pot as they thicken. Add salt, if needed.

For when you're done celebrating! Hope you have a wonderful day!!

http://www.food52.com/recipes/10601_13_refried_beans_w_black_eyed_peas_baby_limas_yellow_split_peas_split_and_then_somegreen_peas

And kudos to you for writing such a long question on the iPad keyboard without a single typo. You're so good with the iPad that maybe someone should get you one as a birthday gift? ;-)

Here's one from Simply Recipes (great site, by the way). She (Elise Bauer) calls for dried pinto beans and bacon fat -- why not cube your pork belly and use that instead? http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/refried_beans/ Have fun and happy birthday!