Mickey,
I'm not a fan of the commercially-available chorizo I've tried in the States and in Mexico. It's way too fatty, being little more than lard and spices in many cases. The product we get over here in Spain is much leaner and, as Richard pointed out, not as spicy, although the butcher will often ask whether you want hot (
picante) or mild. The former usually gets its heat from a spicy paprika called
piment?n picante.
Here's a recipe from
The Foods and Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas. Note that she uses crushed red chili pepper for heat. Chorizo that is less cured is most often used in cooking while the harder and drier ones are eaten as cold cuts. Ms Casas advises against consuming homemade chorizo uncooked.
3/4 lb. lean pork loin, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 lb. pork fat or unsalted fatback, cut in 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 lb. pork fat or unsalted fatback, ground
2 teaspoons course salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground or crushed coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons dry red wine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed dried red chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon saltpeter
sausage casings
Mix together the cubed pork and the cubed and ground fat. Add the remaining ingredients except sausage casings. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Stuff the sausage casings, twisting and tying every 4 inches. Hang to dry at room temperature for 3 days, then refrigerate, loosely covered with wax paper, and continue to dry several more days before using. They will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
I recommend the book to anyone interested in Spanish cooking. There are recipes for lots of great Spanish dishes as well as other types of Spanish sausages, including
butifarra catalana and
longaniza.
I think that one of the keys to making a good chorizo, as well as many other Spanish dishes, is to use a good quality Spanish paprika. The very best comes from Jaraiz de la Vera, C?ceres.
You can read about it
here.
Regards,
Jim L.
