Chorizo

This is a bulk-batch chorizo recipe meant for the home sausage maker with a grinder and stuffer. Ten pounds of pork shoulder gets ground through a quarter-inch plate, mixed with paprika, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and a full cup of vinegar, then stuffed into 40 to 42mm hog casings. The acid from the vinegar is what puts this firmly in the Mexican and Tex-Mex tradition rather than the dry Spanish style.

The overnight cooler dry is the critical resting step. Chorizo needs longer than most fresh sausages for the flavors to marry and the casings to firm up. Slicing into fresh chorizo straight off the stuffer reveals a pale, loose mix; after a night in the cooler, the color deepens into proper brick red and the texture tightens.

Chef Tips

• Keep the pork and grinder parts ice cold throughout. Warm fat smears through the plate and ruins the texture.
• Soak hog casings in warm water 30 minutes before stuffing, flushing the insides with fresh water to remove the salt packing.
• Stuff firm but not tight. Overpacked links split when the sausage swells in the cooler.
• Prick any air pockets with a sterile needle before drying. Trapped air creates soft spots that spoil early.

Variations

• Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of ancho chile powder for a deeper, smokier color.
• Stir in ground cumin and cloves for a more Oaxacan profile.
• Form into loose bulk sausage instead of stuffing casings if you do not have the equipment.