Mexican Chorizo

Another delicious and tasty addition to your tortilla fillings is Chorizo. Often served with eggs or mixed with rice in Mexico, Chorizo is packed with flavor. But what exactly is it?

To begin, Chorizo is either classified as Mexican or Spanish. Mexican Chorizo is an uncooked ground meat sausage infused with spices (the red color is from chili powders and/or paprika) and must be cooked prior to eating. Spanish Chorizo is fermented and cured and is sliced/chopped more like a summer sausage rather than being removed from it's casing, crumbled and cooked in a skillet.

You can make your own Mexican Chorizo or you can purchase commercial varieties at the grocery. Buyer beware... commercial grocery store Chorizo is often made with the less expensive cuts and trimmings of pork/beef and may have things like lymph nodes and salivary glands listed on the ingredients.

If you want to skip the weird bits, follow the recipe below to make your own:

Chorizo
1 large garlic clove
1 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons mild chili powder (California chile powder)
1-2 Tablespoons hot chili powder (New Mexico chile powder)
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 tsp dried leaf oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of cinnamon
3 Tablespoons White Vinegar
1 lb. Boneless Pork (ground... or grind in food processor)

Mash garlic and salt to make a paste. Add Chile powder, paprika, cumin and pinch of cinnamon. Crush oregano to fine crumbs and add to garlic mixture with vinegar. Mix spice mixture into ground pork. Be sure to really squish those spices in. If you've got time, cover tightly and refrigerate 24 hour to blend the flavors. Chorizo may be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or longer in the freezer. To cook, fry the sausage in a skillet while breaking it up into bits rather than chunks. Drain off excess fat. Use in any recipe calling for Mexican Chorizo such as...

Chorizo and eggs
Add it to refried beans
Use it for tacos by combining chorizo and diced fried potatoes
Mix it into your Mexican Rice
Etc.