Mexican Chorizo Recipes

Steps:

• Combine chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cloves and black pepper in mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
• Add cider vinegar and stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Add ground meat and knead until spice mixture is well incorporated into the meat.
• You can use the chorizo immediately, but for best flavor development, place chorizo mixture in an airtight container and store overnight in fridge.
• Form chrizo meat into small patties or just scramble and fry the meat in a skillet until done.

Steps:

• Place the pork, Aleppo pepper, chili powder, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, cloves, and coriander into a bowl, and lightly toss the pork with the seasonings until thoroughly blended. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate the meat, your meat grinder's head assembly, and grinder hopper for 1 hour.
• Fill a large mixing bowl with ice cubes, and place a smaller metal bowl in the ice cubes to catch the ground meat. Assemble the chilled meat grinder, and grind the pork and seasonings using a coarse cutting plate. Return ground meat to refrigerator for 30 minutes. Lightly stir the ground pork with the vinegar and water until thoroughly mixed, form into patties, and refrigerate overnight, covered, to let flavors develop.
• Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, and pan-fry the patties until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 5 to 8 minutes per side.

Steps:

• FOR THE CHORIZO:
• Soak the chiles in a bowl in very hot water to cover until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain the chiles, tear into smaller pieces, and return to the bowl. Add the vinegar and marinate for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time. Transfer the chiles and vinegar to a blender and process until smooth, adding a bit more vinegar only if needed to release the blades.
• Put the pork, pork fat, and garlic in a large bowl and toss until crumbled and well mixed. Add the pureed chiles, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme, allspice, cloves, and perhaps the tequila. Thoroughly squish together all of the ingredients with your hands. Fry a spoonful in a small skillet until thoroughly cooked, taste, and add more salt if needed. Cover the bowl tightly and cure in the refrigerator for at least 1 day and preferably for 3 days, occasionally turning the mixture so the flavors are well blended. At this point, the chorizo can be divided into smaller batches, some to be used immediately in various dishes and others that can be frozen for up to 3 months. If you want, this is also the time to stuff some or all of the meat mixture into casings.
• FOR THE LINKS:
• If you are making links with only some of the chorizo, you will not need all of the casings. Rinse the casings in cool water to remove the salt, then soak them in water to cover mixed with the vinegar for 30 minutes. As you remove the casings from the water, cut in half. Squeeze closed one end of a length and fill the opposite end with water to make sure there are no leaks. If there is a puncture, cut the casing on both sides of the puncture, tie a double knot at one end of each length, and press any water out the other end.
• Here now is the real challenge, and the fun: stuffing the filling into the casings. It can be done with just a funnel and any round, flat-ended piece of wood that fits into the opening. But, as always, fingers are the best.
• Carefully smooth the open end of the casing over the funnel, pushing it as far up as it will easily go. Before adding the meat mixture, hold the funnel upright and press the casing to remove any excess air. Now, stuff some of the chorizo into the funnel, pushing as much of it as you can down into the casing and adding enough to make a firm package but leaving a little empty space at the end to make another double knot. Twist and tie every 3 1/2 to 4 inches with burlap-type string or narrow strips of dried corn husk. Diana Kennedy, from whom I have learned so much, always waits until she has filled the whole casing and then ties it off to make sure that all of the space is filled.
• Hang the links to dry at room temperature for 3 days, then cover and refrigerate and continue to dry for several more days. The links will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator or they can be frozen for a few months.

Steps:

• Combine pork and all remaining ingredients in a food processor; pulse until coarsly blended.
• Place the mixture in a ziploc plastic bag; seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
• The next morning/day, place the mixture in a skillet over med-high heat until hot; add in the pork mixture; cook 5 minutes, or until done, stirring to crumble.

Steps:

• Place chile peppers in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak until softened, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place pork butt and pork fat in the freezer for 30 minutes. Chill meat grinder in the freezer to make grinding the meat easier.
• Grind allspice berries and cloves using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Set aside.
• Drain chile peppers and place in a food processor or blender. Add vinegar and puree until smooth.
• Fit the chilled meat grinder with a medium plate. Pass the partially frozen pork and fat through the grinder. Combine ground meat with pureed chile peppers, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl. Mix well with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour, or overnight.
• Meanwhile, soak casing in cold water for about 30 minutes. Place the wide end of a small sausage-stuffing funnel up against the sink tap and run cold water through the inside of the casing.
• Use the medium sausage-stuffing funnel attachment and place casing on the outside of the tube. Start passing meat mixture through the funnel, stopping just as it starts to come out the other end. Tie the casing into a knot at the end, then continue passing the meat mixture through the funnel, supporting the sausage with your other hand. Once the meat mixture is finished, tie the other end of the casing into a knot.
• Twist the casing at regular intervals to create individual links, alternating between twisting in opposite directions. Poke 2 to 3 small holes into each sausage with a metal skewer to allow air to escape during cooking.
• Cook as desired or chill in the fridge for up to 3 days.