Fresh Basic Chorizo Sausage Recipe
I live in the Southwest, and chorizo sausage is a favorite at many family meals and on lots of the restaurant menus in our area.
My biggest complaint about the commercial chorizo available here is the very high fat content it always seems to have. If I crumble and fry a pound of the supermarket variety I invariably end up with a pan full of red grease. There's never much meat left!
Homemade chorizo is a great way to use your sausage making skills to show how much better a product can be when quality ingredients and a little care are used.
This basic recipe should be made with good pork butt (shoulder) that is about 20% fat.
- 5 pounds boned pork butt
- 4 teaspoons hot ground pepper (I use cayenne)
- 5 teaspoons granulated garlic (or 4-6 fresh cloves)
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 2 tablespoons good quality commercial chili powder
- 1 teaspoon medium grind fresh black pepper
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 1 cup cider vinegar, very cold or chilled with ice
- Trim the pork, cut it into 1 inch cubes. Put it into the refrigerator to cool and then grind it through the 1/4 inch plate of your meat grinder.
- Combine the spices in a 1 small container and mix them the 1 cup of very cold cider vinegar.
- Pour the spice and vinegar combination into the ground pork and mix thoroughly for at least 2 minutes. Use your hands for mixing to assure even distribution.
- Either stuff into casings or make into bulk packages.
- If you stuff the sausage, it is best to let it hang (if possible) in a cooler or refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours to dry.
As with most fresh sausage, this recipe will keep well in the fridge for
up to 3 days and its quality will start to diminish after 3 months in
the freezer.
