Mexican Chorizo Sausage Recipe

I make absolutely no claim to the authenticity of this chorizo sausage recipe. It contains the flavours I use when making my gringo version of Mexican food, namely cumin, chili, garlic, and oregano.

While I’m sure it would be tasty on a bun, I usually cook this sausage un-cased or loose. It’s great in tacos and quesadillas, but I absolutely love applications where the beautiful, spicy, vibrant red fat can be used. For instance if you fry the loose chorizo in a pan, then cook onions and peppers in the fat that is released, then make a frittata, as pictured at left.

Mexican Chorizo

Ingredients

  • 1 kg pork shoulder
  • 16 g kosher salt
  • 5.5 g hot smoked paprika (I use La Chinata, which is super spicy, super smoky, and available at the Italian Centre Shop)
  • 2.5 g sweet paprika
  • 20 g garlic
  • 1.5 g black pepper
  • 4.5 g oregano, fresh
  • 1.5 g oregano, dried
  • 5 g cumin
  • 50 g ice water

Procedure

  1. Standard sausage making procedure outlined here.
  2. Combine meat, salt, and spices. Spread in a single layer on a sheet tray and chill thoroughly in the freezer.
    Grind once using a 3/16″ plate.
  3. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add water. Mix with paddle attachment on speed 2 for 3 minutes.
  4. Stuff into 29/32 hog casings. Link at 6″.