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1. Under cold running water, wash the beans in a sieve or colander until the draining water runs clear. Pick out and discard any black or shriveled beans.
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2. Combine the beans, the 6 cups of water, ½ cup of the onions, ¼cup of the tomatoes, the garlic and 1 tablespoon of lard in a heavy 3- to 4-quartsaucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan partially, and simmer for 1½ hours.
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3. Stir in the salt and continue to simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a bean can be easily mashed against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon.
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4. Check the pot from time to time and stir the beans gently. If the water seems to be boiling away, add more boiling water by the ¼ cup.
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5. When fully cooked, however, the beans should have absorbed most of the liquid. Drain the beans in a sieve or colander set over a bowl and reserve the cooking liquid. In a heavy 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons ofthe lard over moderate heat until a light haze forms aboveit.
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6. Add the remaining ½ cup of onions and, stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent but not brown. Add the remaining chopped tomatoes and stir for 2to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
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7. Fry the beans in the following manner:
Add about ½ cup of the beans to the skillet, mash them flat with a tablefork and stir in 1 tablespoon of the remaining lard. Repeat, alternatingabout 1 cup of the beans with 1 tablespoon of the lard until all the beansand lard have been mashed together.
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8. The bean mixture should be moist and creamy. If it appears dry, beat in the reserved cooking liquid by the tablespoonful, adding only enough to achieve the texture you desire.
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9. Mound the refried beans in a heated serving bowl or individual dishes and serve at once, accompanied if you like by a separate bowl of sour cream. Refried beans are also used as filling for enchiladas or tacos.
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