Spanish Chorizo -- What to make?

[Richard Kilgore]

I picked up some Spanish chorizo to use in making Caldo Verde, but would like to hear about other great dishes using it.

[johnnyd]

We had a mini-Feijoada night before last that simmered for nine hours: black beans in chicken stock, herbs, ancho chili, stew beef. I saute onion, green pepper and tomato in OOil then fold in some of the black bean liquid to simmer a bit. Combine, then I put three locally made chorizo, whole in the pot for a half hour more. Served usually with rice, wife made corn muffins instead and I sauteed some collard strands in OOil and garlic. YUM! Serve cooked chorizo whole and slice on the plate.

Don't forget to drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the Caldo Verde before serving.

Edited October 7, 2004 by johnnyd (log)

[JPW]

Queso Fundido

Brown the chorizo.

Melt a pound of cheese (I prefer a mix of jack and chedder) in 1/2 cup wine.

Add minced garlic and/or jalapeno as desired.

Put chorizo in cheese.

Heat at low temp just long enough for flavors to meld.

Throw in fondue pot (Hey! The 70s are back!)

Thousand of variations are possible off of the basic cheese and sausage recipe. Experiment as often as you can.

Edited October 7, 2004 by JPW (log)

[Carlovski]

I like a simple dish of butter beans (Canned is just fine, those huge ones in glass jars you can get in fancy delis even better) heated through in the oil released by slowly frying chunks of chorizo. Good as a side dish with fish or as a lunch with some good bread.

[cjsadler]

If you can still get ahold of some figs, this is my favorite tapa (from a P. Casas recipe):

Simmer 1 cup red wine vinegar with 1 cup of sugar, a cinnamon stick and a few cloves. Put the figs in whole and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Saute the chorizo in slices and deglaze with wine. Skewer half a fig and a slice of chorizo on a toothpick. These are delicious.

[Smithy]

Chorizo con huevos. It's ridiculously easy: break up or slice up the chorizo. (I'm assuming this is not the little hard chunky chorizo that won't break up and has no grease to give off.) Start cooking it while you beat eggs with milk or water or whatever your preferred scrambling liquid is. As the chorizo starts to brown, pour off some of the grease if you've a mind, and then add the beaten eggs. Scramble, stirring regularly over fairly low heat until it's all cooked to your satisfaction. The proportions for a hungry sailing crew are (approximately) a pound of chorizo for a dozen eggs. There are more sophisticated treatments, and this recipe could be gussied up with mushrooms or tomatoes or whatever, but this was the first spicy breakfast food I ever learned to love. It always reminds me of the college friend who taught it to me, and our trips to Catalina Island.

[little ms foodie]

In Spain we had chorizo and potatoes which was really yummy! They had par boiled the potatoes then fried up the chorizo and added the potatoes (cubed) to the chorizo with the oil and all. yum!!!

[peppyre]

I actaully have pounds of fresh chorizio on hand all the time thanks to my dad, so I learned to make all sorts of things with it. My favorite is added to my spaghetti sauce. I remove it from the casing and brown it with the ground beef and turkey, then I drain off most of the fat. Fresh chorizio has an unbelievable amount of fat. But it's soooo good.

[Jason Perlow]

Theres a really simple and great tapas dish -- cook up some sliced up chorizo in a Le Creuset or other enamel cast iron or a large saute pan with some olive oil, throw in some good canned chickpeas/garbanzos and some chopped onion. Eat with good bread.

EDIT: This sounds familiar to Carlovski's above.

[Eric_Malson]

One of my favorite ways to enjoy chorizos is in patatas a la riojana, a simple of stew of, basically, potatoes and chorizo. (From another Penelope Casas recipe) Peel about 4 pounds of new potatoes and "break" them into about 2-inch pieces by pulling them apart with a partially-inserted knife (NOT slicing them, and yes, it makes a difference). In a big pot, saute 2 medium onions, 2 red bell peppers, and 2 green bell peppers and 2 cloves of garlic, all finely chopped, in olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes, then cover and cook slowly for another 15 minutes (I like to add a finely chopped carrot or two toward the end of this step, but it's strictly optional). Add the potatoes and a pound of sliced chorizo and saute over a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add a teaspoon of good Spanish paprika, then 3 cups of chicken broth, and a cup and a half of water, a dried red chili pepper and 10 peppercorns, bring to a boil, then cook uncovered over a medium flame for about 20 minutes. Make a paste of 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tbsps. minced parsley and some salt, and when the 20 minutes are up, stir into the soup and continue cooking another 15 minutes (or more, or less, depending on how the potatoes are doing--they should be cooked but not mushy). Cover and let stand for another 5 minutes before serving.

[get in my belly]

really there is no end to the dishes that can be made with chorizo .it is right up there with saracha my fave is charizo and eggs in the morning but its hard to find good tortillas just brown the sausage and scramble some eggs add some avocado and a little cream fresca on the cooked tortilla make a burro mmm mmm and mmmmm

ive also made a charizo and potato chowder that was killer use you imagination itll take you places .

[Carlovski]

Theres a really simple and great tapas dish -- cook up some sliced up chorizo in a Le Creuset or other enamed cast iron or a large saute pan with some olive oil, throw in some good canned chickpeas/garbanzos and some chopped onion. Eat with good bread.

EDIT: This sounds familiar to Carlovski's above.

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Yep, I often use Chick peas as well. Yours is in a nicer pot though

Anything starchy cooked in chorizo fat is pretty good to be honest - potatos especially. A simple hash of potato, chorizo and onion topped with a fried egg is hard to beat.

[lmarshal1]

I like a simple dish of butter beans (Canned is just fine, those huge ones in glass jars you can get in fancy delis even better) heated through in the oil released by slowly frying chunks of chorizo. Good as a side dish with fish or as a lunch with some good bread.

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That sounds delicious. My husband loves both the chorizo and the butter beans. What seasonings do you use? lkm

[johnnyd]

We used to have Chorizo, Fava Bean, Potato and Tomato "Fry" when I lived in Portugal as a kid. Olive oil to finish (so much flavour), serve with a little fresh bread and a good plonk or beer.

Chorizo has so much going on spice-wise, I never add much like garlic or herbs.

[Carlovski]

That sounds delicious.  My husband loves both the chorizo and the butter beans.  What seasonings do you use?  lkm

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Doesn't really need anything other than pepper.

Sometimes if I'm adding tomatoes and onions as well I may add a bit of paprika (not if dealing with strong chorizo though) a touch of chilli and a bit of cumin.

A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the whole thing, though if I am making the soupier tomatoey version I sometimes add a slug of sherry vinegar instead.

[lmarshal1]

Doesn't really need anything other than pepper.

Sometimes if I'm adding tomatoes and onions as well I may add a bit of paprika (not if dealing with strong chorizo though) a touch of chilli and a bit of cumin.

A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the whole thing, though if I am making the soupier tomatoey version I sometimes add a slug of sherry vinegar instead.

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Chorizo is tasty but awfully greasy and stain'y (with the red...what is that?). The vinegar or lemon juice addition appeals to me too...and "brightens" is a good word for it! Ah, from the UK! We had hoped to visit again this month, but we and our traveling companions are a little fly-shy internationally. We will return to your country! Better get moving at my age! lkm

[get in my belly]

paprica

[Bux]

The fresh chorizo mentioned above that's removed from the casing and crumbled sounds as if it's Mexican chorizo and not Spanish chorizo. I only know about the Mexican variety from reading about it, but I gather it's quite different from the Spanish chorizo in general although they can vary in type quite a bit and some are cured to be eaten sliced while others are meant to be used in cooking. Here's a quote from La Tienda, a commercial site in the US. "Every household in Spain has at least one or two of the hundreds of varieties of delicious chorizo sausages. Spanish chorizo-type products, often referred to as embutidos, come in many varieties, thick and thin, plain or smoked, some containing lean meat to be served for tapas, or with more fat to flavor stews and grilled dishes. In general, Spanish chorizo always has less fat and is more finely ground than a Mexican one." Both types are made in the US, and as we often find Chouriço, the Portuguese sausage which is similar to the Spanish, that's made in New Jersey. Chouriço and the Spanish chorizo are probably interchangeable, whereas I don't think the Mexican chorizo would be a good substitute for the Spanish in an authentic recipe. Spanish chorizo is very common in Puerto Rican cooking, especially in a good pot of beans. Thinly sliced and fried, it's a great addition to a Spanish tortilla de patatas.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks everyone. I'll try some of these and post later. The simple dishes of butter beans or garbanzos and chorizo sound quite fine to me.

Yes, Bux, I am asking specifically about Spanish not Mexican Chorizo. They are indeed quite different. I have only seen the imported Palacios brand Spanish chorizo here in Dallas, so thanks for the link.

[foolcontrol]

The fresh chorizo mentioned above that's removed from the casing and crumbled sounds as if it's Mexican chorizo and not Spanish chorizo. I only know about the Mexican variety from reading about it, but I gather it's quite different from the Spanish chorizo in general although they can vary in type quite a bit and some are cured to be eaten sliced while others are meant to be used in cooking. Here's a quote from La Tienda, a commercial site in the US. "Every household in Spain has at least one or two of the hundreds of varieties of delicious chorizo sausages. Spanish chorizo-type products, often referred to as embutidos, come in many varieties, thick and thin, plain or smoked, some containing lean meat to be served for tapas, or with more fat to flavor stews and grilled dishes. In general, Spanish chorizo always has less fat and is more finely ground than a Mexican one." Both types are made in the US, and as we often find Chouriço, the Portuguese sausage which is similar to the Spanish, that's made in New Jersey. Chouriço and the Spanish chorizo are probably interchangeable, whereas I don't think the Mexican chorizo would be a good substitute for the Spanish in an authentic recipe. Spanish chorizo is very common in Puerto Rican cooking, especially in a good pot of beans. Thinly sliced and fried, it's a great addition to a Spanish tortilla de patatas.

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I agree that several people are mixing up spanish chorizo with mexican chorizo. Both are good; however, they are completely different. The spanish chorizo has almost no grease when cooked and the mexican chorizo swims in grease when cooked. I absolutely love the spanish chorizo. The mexican chorizo has its place also; however, it can be overbearing with all of the grease. Other than the fact that both contain paprika and meat, they are completely different.

[Daniel]

I like to cook 1/4 inch slices of Spanish chorizo in a pan with a tiny tiny bit of oil. As the chorizo starts to crisp, i throw in slices of dill pickles for the last 3 minutes. I dont know if people have had this combo, but its really terrific.

[curlywurlyfi]

I've got a recipe for a salad of roasted sweet potato, chorizo and rocket. (there's something else in there too that I can't remember, dammit). have never made it but thought it sounded fantastic. I made the butterbeans + chorizo thing the other day. Added some chard too, and some garlic. Not beautiful, you realize, but ooooh good.

[Carlovski]

I've got a recipe for a salad of roasted sweet potato, chorizo and rocket.  (there's something else in there too that I can't remember, dammit).  have never made it but thought it sounded fantastic.  I made the butterbeans + chorizo thing the other day.  Added some chard too, and some garlic.  Not beautiful, you realize, but ooooh good.

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Ooh, that reminds me - I made a warm salad last week with courgettes, shallots and chorizo, roasted in the oven (Couple of whole garlic cloves as well). Put the hot veg and sausage on a bag of bought herbal salad (Quite a bit of rocket in there, plus soft herbs). Squished the garlic cloves into the release oil in the roasting dish and mixed in sherry vinegar and a smidge of dijon to make a dressing.

Most delicious. Just don't tell anyone I ate salad!

[Adam Balic]

QUOTE(Bux @ Oct 11 2004, 12:09 AM)

The fresh chorizo mentioned above that's removed from the casing and crumbled sounds as if it's Mexican chorizo and not Spanish chorizo. I only know about the Mexican variety from reading about it, but I gather it's quite different from the Spanish chorizo in general although they can vary in type quite a bit and some are cured to be eaten sliced while others are meant to be used in cooking. Here's a quote from La Tienda, a commercial site in the US. "Every household in Spain has at least one or two of the hundreds of varieties of delicious chorizo sausages. Spanish chorizo-type products, often referred to as embutidos, come in many varieties, thick and thin, plain or smoked, some containing lean meat to be served for tapas, or with more fat to flavor stews and grilled dishes. In general, Spanish chorizo always has less fat and is more finely ground than a Mexican one." Both types are made in the US, and as we often find Chouriço, the Portuguese sausage which is similar to the Spanish, that's made in New Jersey. Chouriço and the Spanish chorizo are probably interchangeable, whereas I don't think the Mexican chorizo would be a good substitute for the Spanish in an authentic recipe. Spanish chorizo is very common in Puerto Rican cooking, especially in a good pot of beans. Thinly sliced and fried, it's a great addition to a Spanish tortilla de patatas.

I agree that several people are mixing up spanish chorizo with mexican chorizo. Both are good; however, they are completely different. The spanish chorizo has almost no grease when cooked and the mexican chorizo swims in grease when cooked. I absolutely love the spanish chorizo. The mexican chorizo has its place also; however, it can be overbearing with all of the grease. Other than the fact that both contain paprika and meat, they are completely different.

I'm slightly confused by this. Is this refering to Spanish chorizo imported from Spain or Spanish style chorizo produced in the US?

I am no expert on Chorizo (but boy, wouldn't I like to be ), but I have just come back from Andalusia this week. In the small subset (~15 types) I tried there was an hugh amount of variation. Some finely ground, some coarse, some with >50 fat content, some leaner, some bright clear red, some a dark (addition of blood), some soft in texture, some hard. And then there was the dried types..

For breakfast in Seville there was often a bowl of chirizo fat avalible to spread on tostada (was very nice).

Crumbled and mixed with 50% ground pork and cooked with garlic/shallots, reduced with a little fresh apple juice and mixed with chickpeas, parsley, makes a good filling for empanada.

The same filling, without the apple juice or chickpeas can be used to stuff mushroom caps and then grilled makes a nice tapa.

Roasted with asparagus is good (squeeze of lemon juice over to serve).

Grilled chorizo served with fresh oysters is also very good. But you need lots of both.

[lovebenton0]

I'm slightly confused by this. Is this refering to Spanish chorizo imported from Spain or Spanish style chorizo produced in the US?

I am no expert on Chorizo (but boy, wouldn't I like to be ), but I have just come back from Andalusia this week. In the small subset (~15 types) I tried there was an hugh amount of variation. Some finely ground, some coarse, some with >50 fat content, some leaner, some bright clear red, some a dark (addition of blood), some soft in texture, some hard. And then there was the dried types..

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If I'm not mistaken the blood sausage chorizo you refer to is morcilla, or similar to that. It is a solid sausage, not for crumbling.