Homemade Mexican Chorizo

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Not easy, but well worth it for us poor souls who can't get the real thing in our area. This is not Spanish chorizo, which is smoked and basically ready to eat - it is the Mexican style, which is raw and must be cooked before eating. It freezes well and can be used in egg dishes, tacos, soups, beans, stews or anywhere you want to add a real punch of spicy flavor.

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Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder or butt, or plain ground pork from the butcher
  • 1 large white onion
  • 5 Ancho chiles, dried
  • 3 Chipotle chiles, dried
  • 1 Guajillo chile, dried
  • 1 c boiling water
  • 1 T annatto seeds, crushed
  • 2 T paprika
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano, crumbled
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Mexican cinnamon
  • Pinch each ginger, clove, cumin
  • 2-3 t salt (to taste)
  • 1/3 c apple cider vinegar

Preparation

Step 1


Cut the pork into 2” cubes and put the meat in the freezer to chill for at least 30 or as many as 45 minutes. Skip this step if you are using ground pork, and just keep ground pork in large bowl in the refrigerator until needed.

Toast the chiles quickly in a dry skillet just until they are flexible and fragrant. Remove the stem and seeds. If you want spicy chorizo, Pati says, “Save the seeds, toast them lightly and add back in to increase the spicy flavor.” Careful, now. They’re hot. I add these after taste testing.

Tear the chiles into a few pieces and rehydrate them in a cup of boiling water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid.

Make a slurry in the blender. Add the chopped onion, the chiles, the spices and vinegar to the blender. Add the chile soaking liquid to loosen the slurry until it’s just pourable. Chill the slurry while you grind the meat.

Set up the grinder and grind the chilled meat into a chilled bowl perched in an ice bath. If using ground pork, now is the time to bring out the bowl of chilled meat. Combine the meat with the slurry.

Using your hands or a stand mixer, combine everything well at a low (#4) speed. If you mix with your hands, wear gloves. Use the chile soaking liquid to moisten the sausage, as needed.

Add some chorizo to the tasting skillet and cook until well browned, breaking it up to a crumble. Taste for salt, pepper, and spicy heat and adjust to your liking.

Mix again well, Get rid of the extra air. Pack the chorizo in half and one pound packages. If possible, let the chorizo rest for a day or two before cooking with it. This sausage benefits from a little rest.

Chorizo will keep in the refrigerator for a week, and in the freezer for up to three months.

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