RECIPE : HOW TO MAKE A SPANISH CHORIZO
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Ah, chorizo (pronounced "chor-eee-tho") is a wonderful vibrant orange cured salami packed with flavour from the regional paprika's. Typically using Pimentón de la Vera this wonderful taste of Spain is delightful on its own or pepping up other quick dishes like scrambled egg or bean and pulse dishes. In fact I've used this in many recipes.
Not to be confused with Mexican chorizo (which is made to be opened, crumbled and cooked) this is cured salami that can be ready in as little as 3 weeks. It is well worth using a quality paprika (Spanish if possible) and not the cheapest you can find. This makes a difference to the overall flavour as well as well as the colour. Pimentón de la Vera has a characteristic smokiness made in province of Cáceres where they smoke the red peppers as they dry them before grinding them up into a glorious red powder. Choosing your paprika or creating a blend will allow you to produce a salami with a wonderful sweetness, smokiness, gentle heat and colour. I like to prepare the pork fat separately and dice it so it runs through the salami in contrast to the orange ground pork meat. Wether you pronounce it 'chor-itz-so', 'chor-eee-so', or 'chor-ee-tho', this is an iconic and instantly recognisable salami that is very easy to make and will fill you with confidence on your charcuterie journey. |
Pimenton de la Vera
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INGREDIENTS
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This will make approximately 4-5 chorizo salami of 25cm-30cm length in a 30-34mm hog casing.
750g pork shoulder, ground 250g diced pork fat 30g salt (sea salt, kosher salt, PDV or cooking salt - don't use table salt) This is 3% of the weight of the meat mix in salt* 3 garlic cloves (minced) 25g of quality paprika. I like to make a blend of 75% sweet paprika and 25% smoked paprika. 50ml of white wine 30-34mm hog casings - approx 1.5m-2m in length. *We make our own informed choice on the use of additional nitrates and curing salts. If you choose to use these - swap the 3% in salt to 2.5% salt and 0.25% Instacure #2 / Prague Powder #2. You can read more in our article here : To use or not to use Nitrates (Pink Salts, Instacures) |
Final Chorizo Mix ready for stuffing into casings
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PROCESS
1. Soak your hog casings as per instructions. Soak in fresh cold water and refresh a few times over 2 hours. Prior to using I add a teaspoon of wine vinegar but this is not essential.
2. Coarsely grind the pork using a 6mm or 8mm plate. If using a grinder it is worth putting your equipment and pork in the freezer for 10-20 mins so it stays firm through the process, or else the grinder action can warm the meat and turn the fat sludgy.
OR use your knife skills to chop to a fine dice - Start by cutting the meat into smaller manageable chunks and then grab a second sharp knife so you have one in each hand. Now with your left hand draw the knife from right to left, and with the knife in the right hand draw the knife from left to right. Then repeat and keep cutting like this until desired coarseness is achieved. This scissor motion can make quick work of the pork if the main part of the blade is kept perpendicular to the chopping board. and with a small pile of the pork place the blades. Check our VIDEOS section for a guide on this.
3. Finely dice the back fat / pork fat and set aside.
4. Place the ground/cut pork in a bowl and add the salt and start to mix through thoroughly with your clean hands.
5. Add the diced fat and mix through.
6. Add the paprika and minced garlic and start to mix through a bit before adding the white wine. Now mis through and churn with your hands for a couple of minutes. The salt and the acidity and the wine make the meat inhospitable for bad bacteria to grow.
7. Put into your hog casings with either a sausage stuffer or our plastic bottle funnel method (see TIPS). Make sure the skins are packed tight with as few air pockets as possible. Tie into manageable lengths as you go ensuring you have good tie at both ends.
TYING TIP - tie one granny knot around the casing skin to close it, then loop the flap of casing over the knot, and tie another knot, then with the two ends tie into a loop for hanging.
8. Prick the salamis all over with a sterilised pin or needle to remove any possible air pockets
9. Now weigh each salami, make a note of the weight on some tape or a tag, and attached to the salami. I find it useful to also record the date.
Then calculate a 30% weight reduction ( multiply the weight by 0.7 on a calculator) and write this down on the tag as target weight (T).
10. Now hang in a warm area (room temperature is fine) and anywhere from 18-22C ideally for 24 hours to start the curing process. You may get some liquid seepage so pop a plate underneath if hanging over carpet.
11. Now move to a cool area to hang for 2-3 weeks. Ideally you looking for a constant temperature of 9-12C, out of direct sunlight, with some passing airflow - (so don't put it in a cellar with stagnant air) I hang mine near the back door in the winter and into a wine fridge during other seasons.
Now it just a case of waiting. Inspect everyday. If you see any bad mould (green) then you will have caught it early and can wash off with some wine vinegar. White mould is good, but not essential for this chorizo. White mould will improve the flavour further and also inhibit the growth of bad bacteria on the surface. If you see any black mould then you likely have something nearby causing it and I would bin the salami (though can try washing it off with wine vinegar, then painting wine vinegar over the salami and see if it reappears.
Your chorizo will lose weight over time (very quickly at first) and start to have sweet pleasant salami/porky smell. If at any point your chorizo smells rancid or deeply acidic or is slimy then you should bin that salami as it means the bad bacteria has grown inside, probably within an air pocket. This is why you should pack your salami tight and prick any air holes.
As your chorizo cure they will start to harden. Once you get to the 2-3 week marker you can relax a bit, and once they hit the target weight you can continue to hang and cure them or move them to the fridge ready for eating or pack them. These will last a good while like any cured salami, though to be honest once your friends find out you have made these they will devoured along with a glass or two.....
2. Coarsely grind the pork using a 6mm or 8mm plate. If using a grinder it is worth putting your equipment and pork in the freezer for 10-20 mins so it stays firm through the process, or else the grinder action can warm the meat and turn the fat sludgy.
OR use your knife skills to chop to a fine dice - Start by cutting the meat into smaller manageable chunks and then grab a second sharp knife so you have one in each hand. Now with your left hand draw the knife from right to left, and with the knife in the right hand draw the knife from left to right. Then repeat and keep cutting like this until desired coarseness is achieved. This scissor motion can make quick work of the pork if the main part of the blade is kept perpendicular to the chopping board. and with a small pile of the pork place the blades. Check our VIDEOS section for a guide on this.
3. Finely dice the back fat / pork fat and set aside.
4. Place the ground/cut pork in a bowl and add the salt and start to mix through thoroughly with your clean hands.
5. Add the diced fat and mix through.
6. Add the paprika and minced garlic and start to mix through a bit before adding the white wine. Now mis through and churn with your hands for a couple of minutes. The salt and the acidity and the wine make the meat inhospitable for bad bacteria to grow.
7. Put into your hog casings with either a sausage stuffer or our plastic bottle funnel method (see TIPS). Make sure the skins are packed tight with as few air pockets as possible. Tie into manageable lengths as you go ensuring you have good tie at both ends.
TYING TIP - tie one granny knot around the casing skin to close it, then loop the flap of casing over the knot, and tie another knot, then with the two ends tie into a loop for hanging.
8. Prick the salamis all over with a sterilised pin or needle to remove any possible air pockets
9. Now weigh each salami, make a note of the weight on some tape or a tag, and attached to the salami. I find it useful to also record the date.
Then calculate a 30% weight reduction ( multiply the weight by 0.7 on a calculator) and write this down on the tag as target weight (T).
10. Now hang in a warm area (room temperature is fine) and anywhere from 18-22C ideally for 24 hours to start the curing process. You may get some liquid seepage so pop a plate underneath if hanging over carpet.
11. Now move to a cool area to hang for 2-3 weeks. Ideally you looking for a constant temperature of 9-12C, out of direct sunlight, with some passing airflow - (so don't put it in a cellar with stagnant air) I hang mine near the back door in the winter and into a wine fridge during other seasons.
Now it just a case of waiting. Inspect everyday. If you see any bad mould (green) then you will have caught it early and can wash off with some wine vinegar. White mould is good, but not essential for this chorizo. White mould will improve the flavour further and also inhibit the growth of bad bacteria on the surface. If you see any black mould then you likely have something nearby causing it and I would bin the salami (though can try washing it off with wine vinegar, then painting wine vinegar over the salami and see if it reappears.
Your chorizo will lose weight over time (very quickly at first) and start to have sweet pleasant salami/porky smell. If at any point your chorizo smells rancid or deeply acidic or is slimy then you should bin that salami as it means the bad bacteria has grown inside, probably within an air pocket. This is why you should pack your salami tight and prick any air holes.
As your chorizo cure they will start to harden. Once you get to the 2-3 week marker you can relax a bit, and once they hit the target weight you can continue to hang and cure them or move them to the fridge ready for eating or pack them. These will last a good while like any cured salami, though to be honest once your friends find out you have made these they will devoured along with a glass or two.....