Homemade Chorizo From Scratch

 

homemade chorizo chillin' in the freezer

Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash with Homemade Chorizo

I LOVE Mexican chorizo.  And I take great pride in making as many dishes as possible from scratch.  This is one of my favorites as it is a bit labor intensive and includes waiting at least 2 days(!!!) before getting to taste the fruits of said labor.  The depth of flavor you get from this chorizo vs. store-bought is ridiculous (one might even say riDONKulous - not me, of course, because I'm an adult).  This is what I like to call "project cooking" (a term I stole from some bouldering lingo).  Don't zone out during the prep work and hurry through it just to be done cooking.  Relish the amount of care and time it takes to make something that is truly homemade.  The final flavor profile (smoky from the chiles and sour/tangy from the apple cider vinegar) is your reward.

Prep Time: 1.5 hours

Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour for the chile/spice mixture to chill and 2 days for the chorizo to marinate

freshly-made chorizo needs 2 days to marinate

Equipment Needed:

large skillet (I recommend cast iron)

large mason jar (or large glass bowl)

gloves (latex/disposable)

large food processor (or blender)

small food processor (or molcajete - preferrably made from volcanic rock)

large non-reactive bowl with lid (if you don't have a lid, plastic wrap/aluminum foil works just fine)

parchment paper

plastic wrap

Ingredients:*

8 guajillo chiles**

4 ancho chiles**

2 fresh ripe (red) jalapenos (pith and seeds removed), roughly chopped***

2 bunches of scallions (green onions), chopped

6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced (or 4 teaspoons dried)

2 heaping teaspoons black peppercorns

4 teaspoons roasted comino (cumin) seeds

1.5 tablespoons achiote powder**

2 heaping teaspoons allspice berries**

2 tablespoons sea salt (or kosher salt, just not that iodized table salt crap)

1 cup apple cider vinegar

2 pounds ground pork

*This makes A LOT - about 3 pounds worth of chorizo when all is said and done.  Feel free to halve the ingredients.  But I figure, if you're going to take the time to make it, why not make a lot!  It keeps great in the freezer.

**available at most Mexican markets.  My favorite here on the Westside of Los Angeles is Top Valu Market in Del Rey.

***I find it pretty impossible to find red jalapenos anywhere.  I was lucky enough this most recent time to get some from my co-worker's backyard garden.  Green jalapenos work just fine.

rehydrated chiles and herbage pre-blend

Directions:

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil (I use an electric kettle - best $25 I ever spent).  While the water is boiling, heat your cast iron skillet over medium-low heat and toast your chiles until the skin is slightly darker (not black!) and they are more pliable.  The guajillos should puff up a bit as well.  Turn them often to make sure they don't burn.  Shouldn't take more than 8 minutes tops.

2. Add your toasted chiles to your mason jar or glass bowl and pour the boiling water over them.  If using a glass bowl, you may have to put a colander over the top of the chiles to keep them from floating on the surface of the water.  Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

3. Drain the chiles.  Put on your gloves (the oil from chiles can stay on your hands for days and you do not want to rub your eyes with chile hands).  One at a time, tear the stem off of the top of the chile.  Stick your finger in the top opening and rip open the chile lengthwise.  Remove the slimy pith and all of the seeds (I do this over the kitchen sink - it can get a bit messy).

4.  Add the cleaned chiles, jalapenos, scallions, garlic, oregano and apple cider vinegar to a large food processor and puree.

5.  Add whole comino seeds to cast iron skillet over medium-low heat and move around until toasted/fragrant - about 8 minutes.

6.  Add toasted comino seeds, black peppercorns, achiote powder, allspice berries, and sea salt to a small food processor (or grind by hand with a molcajete) and process until they form a coarse powder.

7. Add spice powder to large food processor and process to combine.  Put mixture in non-reactive bowl, cover and chill in fridge for an hour.

8. After the spice mixture has chilled, add cold ground pork and combine mixture thoroughly by hand (don't forget to wear gloves!).  Cover chorizo and store in the fridge for 2 days before using.  

9. After 2 days, I usually split the sausage into 6 equal parts (1/2 pound each) if I'm not cooking any of it right away.  I take each part, roughly form it into a sausage shape (gloves again!), roll in plastic wrap (as tightly as you can), then roll in parchment paper, twisting the ends of the parchment paper to help the sausage keep its shape.  Toss in the freezer until you're ready to cook!  

my gloves after making chorizo

Phew.  It was a lot of work and waiting 2 days before cooking it will definitely test your patience, but it will all be worth it when you taste it for the first time.  I use this chorizo in place of regular pork sausage in lots of my favorite recipes, including Primal Breakfast Casserole, Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole and Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash.  Most store-bought sausages are about 1/4 pound each so each of your homemade sausages should be the equivalent of 2 store-bought.  Happy cooking!