When I am in Texas, it is possible to purchase some really good quality Mexican Chorizo in the grocery. However, most other places offer up products whose ingredient lists are scary! And, that is if you can find it at all. Here in Panama, while Spanish Chorizo is available, it is very different from the Mexican version which is not to be found.
So let’s make some! There are a lot of “authentic” recipes around and most look pretty good. I’m pretty picky and not wild about cinnamon and cloves in my Mexican recipes, even though they are regularly found in northern Mexican cuisine. Therefore, I am going to list those spices as optional and let you decide. Enjoy!
- 1 Pound Ground Pork
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Coriander Seed
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Whole Oregano Crushed
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- ¼ Cayenne Pepper Powder
- 3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground Cloves (Optional)
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (Optional)
- Measure all of the herbs and spices into a small bowl and stir or whisk together to mix well. Pour the vinegar over all and stir to mix well with the herbs and spices.
- Crumble the ground pork on top of the herb/spice/vinegar mixture.
- Using a large spoon, begin to mix all of the ingredients together in the bowl by folding, stirring and pushing them together. After you have done all you can with a spoon, use you hands to knead everything together until thoroughly combined. Wearing gloves to do this is a good idea -- chili powders can burn your skin and eyes!
- Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator overnight (or at least one hour) before use to allow the flavor to develop. In the alternative, put ¼ of the mixture in each of 4 zipper sandwich bags, then in a freezer bag and store in your freezer until ready to use. Allow frozen chorizo to thaw before cooking.
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