How do you... Chorizo

[TheCountofQ]

I love the stuff. Both the Mexican soft stuff, and the harder Spanish links (at least that is how the difference was explained to me). This post is more about the soft.

I usually just use it in breakfast burritos. Heat thoroughly in cast iron, leave some of the grease (which there is a WHOLE lot of) in the pan, scramble a dozen eggs (slightly under done, as they will get reheated in a microwave heading out the door on the a.m.), placed a bit of each in heated tortillas with a bit of sharp cheddar, fold and fridge/ freeze.

I would love to discover more uses for this stuff. Especially at 1.49/lb!!

It is so greasy though. I gotta figure out how to best strain much of it off. Could really use more recipes also.

So how do you use it?

[HouseHomey]

That's exactly how to do it my friend. It can go easier in a non stick v cast iron but that's trivial. You can also cook it down to crumbles to use on salads, wraps, nachos, taquitos, loaded baked potatoes, in deviled eggs, twice cooked tatters, poppers, Mac n Cheese, tomato soup, chicken salad sandwhich mix grilled cheeses etc... you get the gist.

These are the things I have used it in that I can think of off the top of my head.

As a kid this was one of the first things I learned how to cook in a cast iron skillet or non stick with eggs. Subsequently I cooked all of my leftovers with chorizo as a kid. It does not have to have eggs. The meat sucks in the juice/grease colors and flavors it.

but... how you are already doing it screams childhood to me, just add leftovers to the burritos and BOOM!

[CaptainMike]

Dude, as a kid we lived in Fresnakistan (Fresno) for a few years and our neighbor, who was our "tia", taught my Mom how to make chorizo tacos. Every Friday night was taco night and we all had greasy orange streaks running down our arms. So good!

[HouseHomey]

Yes CaptainMike tacos de papa y Chorizo. Yessss!

[TheCountofQ]

HouseHomey Thanks! Cooking it down to a crumble? I guess straining/ spooning off grease and just "over cooking"?

[johnec00]

Make your own!

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes/chorizo-mexican

Don't need to stuff in casings, just grill as patties or crumble in pan.
If its too greasy for your likes, use leaner pork cuts or mix in some lean beef.
Lots of other recipe versions on the same site.

[Mosca]

If I was just looking to have chorizo with breakfast, could I simply fry all this up together? I'm thinking, of course I can!

[johnec00]

Mosca - Yep.

[TripleB]

Thank you for the link.

[JCGrill]

Don't use it much, it's not a prevalent thing around here. But I have cooked it down, used some of the oil for roux, and made biscuits and gravy with it.

[Mr. Bones]

Yessssss!!!!!!!!
Makes great B&G!

[TheCountofQ]

Oh yes!! Great idea!!

[CaptainMike]

Follow up to HouseHomey comment TheCountofQ, Mom, via our tia, would use a dedicated CI taco pan to cook 50/50 hamburger and chorizo. Toss in diced and sautéed onions and a green bell (sometimes diced potato) and let that simmer for "a while". She'd fry up a bunch of corn tortillas in peanut oil (I can still hear her voice hollering from the kitchen "crispy or soft!), then we would make them up "Taco Bell" style (pretty sure before TB was invented) and shove those things in until we couldn't eat any more. When we felt brave enough we'd top 'em with Pico Pica sauce which was pretty hot for a kid. Haha, and I wonder why I had a heart attack at 47!

[HouseHomey]

I just got goosebumps. Literally I did. That's a way of life. I still have pico pics in my cabinet.

[TheCountofQ]

Seems like this stuff and childhood memories go hand in hand. Likely because only a child's heart can process all that fat without worry of health issues...

I didn't discover it till my early thirties. I'll just go ahead and make an appointment for a bypass or so.

[Willy]

I agree-make your own. The cheap stuff they sell in tubes, well, the number one ingredient is usually.....pork salivary glands. Now, I am in principle all for using everything but squeal, but homemade from fatty pork butt with fresh chile powders, etc. is da bomb, great mixed into scrambled eggs. I'll post a recipe later. I've never tried to make the "hard" (cured) Spanish sausage.

[TheCountofQ]

Looking forward to the recipe!

[HouseHomey]

[CaptainMike]

What, no Tapatio?!!!!

[HouseHomey]

CaptainMike finished it two or 3 days ago with tacos. Also my wife puts some in the fridge. Greens and herdez.

[HouseHomey]

That chorizo was a way to use every part on the pig. Lymph nodes and salivary glands. Like anything else. Moderation.
I make 3 egg omelette switch it at work for a few people.

thats why the crumbles are good. Cook out a lot of fat and still have flavor.

[TheCountofQ]

I was unaware that is what it is made of. I probably wouldn't have tried it, had I known. No stopping me now though...

[EdF]

Sure, a lot like andouille - and I love that stuff too!

[TheCountofQ]

Really? Explains a lot. I bought some Chorizo for turbo dogs once, and didn't realize half the packages were actually andouille. Taste tested side by side with Spanish chorizo, and I couldn't tell them apart.

[Spinaker]

Throw it on a pizza! It is crazy good. Go light because it is really greasy. It is awesome though.

[CaptainMike]

Oh yeah! Toss on some jalapenos, tomatoes jack and cheddar cheese, maybe some black olives, mmmmm.......

[Willy]

Here's a starting point for homemade chorizo; tweak it as you see fit or Google recipes that sound like they're more up your alley..

2 pounds fatty ground pork
2--4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c--1/2 c red wine vinegar
2-3 T ancho chili powder
1 T smoked paprika
2 t Mexican oregano
1 t ground cumin
2 t crushed red pepper (and/or cayenne to taste)
1 t salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper

Mix well by hand (gloved) and let "stew" a day or two in the fridge. What you don't eat right away, freeze in convenient sized portions. Fresh spices are crucial.

BTW, there are some commercial brands that are made with actual meat, but they do cost a lot more. Cheaper to make you own.

[Thunder77]

Willy, when you say fatty prok, about what percentage are we talking about?

[Willy]

@Thunder77--Dunno; I used store bought ground pork. I'd guess 80/20 or maybe a bit fattier.

[TripleB]

Thank you Willy. Got another sausage recipe to go with my Texas Hot Links recipe. Yes, you can find "all pork shoulder" chorizo in the stores, but a bit hard to find. Only see it once in awhile. This will be better. Chorizo is good in chili too. Yum. Thanks!!

[Willy]

Another thought or two. You could certainly used dried NM chile powder in place of ancho and, if your grocery stores carries Mexican spices, etc. in the little cellophane bags, they might have one labeled "chorizo mix" and I'm guessing it would have a recipe of sorts on the bag. I haven't used it yet, but I'd guess it'd work just fine.

[TheCountofQ]

I'll look for it. Those are the Mexican spices I usually buy. Never thought of them being 'fresh' as they are relatively cheap. One learns to adapt though. Your recipe, use cooked pork?

[Willy]

Count--raw, freshly ground pork--store-bought or homemade. I think that if you live in an area with a decent sized Hispanic population, those bagged spices/herbs move pretty quickly.

[TheCountofQ]

Thanks man!!