Spanish chorizo recipe
Chorizo is a spicy Spanish sausage that adds a delicious kick and a rich oiliness to many dishes, including paella, a tomato-based chicken stew, or it can be served as tapas or an antipasto dish. And the good news is that it’s surprisingly easy to make.
This versatile sausage can become a kitchen staple, providing an instant flavour boost to stews and pasta sauces, or an appetite-stimulating snack to accompany predinner drinks.
Preserving considerations
Chorizo is a pork-based dried sausage. The chorizo made according to the method described here contains 2 per cent salt, which is the normal salinity for a regular butcher’s sausage.
This airdried chorizo also contains Prague Powder #2 (pink curing salt #2), which is a proprietary blend of salt and sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate. These ingredients are preservatives, which allow for safe air-drying without the risk of bacterial infection. If you decide to use the chorizo straight away in cooking, without a period of drying, you can omit the Prague Powder #2, substituting an additional two teaspoons of salt.
The pork meat for chorizo should ideally come from the shoulder or Boston butt and is 70 to 80 per cent lean to 20 to 30 per cent fat, which is the ideal mix for this sausage. Mince through a 8 mm (1/3 in) plate.
Choosing casings
Chorizo is made using natural hog casings. The size is a matter of personal choice. The instructions here specify casings of 32–35 mm (1 ¼ –1 ½ in) diameter. However, bear in mind that chorizo made with larger casings will tend to take longer to dry.
You need a sausage stuffer and hog casings to make this recipe. Stuffers are not all hugely expensive, but if you're interested in making sausages on a regular basis you might want to invest in some higher end kit. You will need to consider what type of casing you need to buy depending on your equipment.
The chorizo needs to be left to dry in a refrigerator for two weeks before eating.
Ingredients
- 4.3 kg minced pork
- 4.5 metres (approx) 32-35mm salted hog casing
- 85 g salt
- 11.5 g Prague Powder #2 (pink curing salt #2)
- 50 g paprika
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 20 g crushed fennel seeds
- 50 g minced garlic
- 200 ml red wine (preferably Rioja)
Details
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Recipe Type: Snack
- Difficulty: Hard
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 0 mins
- Serves: 12
Step-by-step
- Preparing the meat: combine the minced pork with the dry ingredients. Add the wine and mix well for about five minutes.
- Load the meat mix into the sausage stuffer. Using natural hog casings, fill each chorizo with approximately 200 g (7 oz) of meat, and tie both ends together in a ring.
- Drying the chorizo: prick the casing with a sterilized pin to allow any trapped air to escape and hang the sausage rings to dry in the refrigerator for two weeks.
- After this time the chorizo can be used in cooked dishes. If you want to use the chorizo as an uncooked starter, leave it to dry for a further two weeks in the refrigerator before serving. Make sure that you weigh and label your chorizo. Aim for a weight loss of around 15 to 20 per cent.
Smoking, Curing & Drying - The Complete Guide for Meat & Fish by Turan T. Turan, with photography by Simon Pask. Published by Apple Press, £12.99.
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