Making Sausage: Chorizo

Chorizo is a fine sausage for the novice sausage maker. Because it varies from one country to the next, and from one region to the next, no one is likely to turn up their nose and declare, "This isn't REAL chorizo." The worst they might try is, "This doesn't taste like my Tia Rosa's sausage," to which you may honestly reply, "Well, this is how Tia Estrella makes it."

Chorizo may or may not be stuffed into a casing, may or may not be smoked or cured, may or may not be flaming hot with chilies. So we're going the simple route, making fresh chorizo with a generous amount of spices but modest heat.

The only special equipment required is probably already in your kitchen: a food processor or meat grinder. If asked which I thought did a better job, I'd have to say choose the meat grinder, because with a food processor one could process the meat too much. That might produce something like spicy bologna, which would be interesting to try sometime.

Another good tool is small, inexpensive electric coffee grinder - not for the meat, but for spices. You'll get far better flavor than with the stale stuff sold in tiny jars. But keep your spice grinder separate from the one used for coffee, or someone might have an unpleasant wake-up experience.

Now let's set up the meat grinder and make chorizo.


Recipe: Fresh Chorizo

Whether using a food processor or meat grinder, you'll find it easier to work with the pork if it is partially frozen. 

1 lb. fresh boneless pork
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 or 3 chiles (japones)
1/2 tsp. whole coriander
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
1/2 tsp.  black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. cider vinegar

Feed partially frozen meat and garlic cloves through the meat grinder, or pulse in food processor until evenly ground but not mushy.

Frugal Frannie's hint: Follow the last of the meat through the grinder with half a slice of stale bread. That will push the final bits of meat through the blades. When you see bread crumbs emerging, turn off the grinder and dispose of the bread.

Place the next 7 ingredients in a whirly-gig coffee grinder and process to the texture of corn meal.

Add to meat with cider vinegar and stir thoroughly.
The sausage may be left loose or shaped into patties or logs. Because your home-made sausage has no artificial preservatives, store no more in the refrigerator
than you will use in a day or two; keep the rest in the freezer.

I shaped this batch into logs, than chilled them well before slicing into coins for Spanish Brown Rice.