# Spanish Chorizo



## JDP (Dec 11, 2006)

I have finally found real Spanish Chorizo at a specialty market and am looking for new uses.

So far I have made a Spanish style omlette ( torta) using potatoes, carmelized onions, chorizo and gorgonzola cheese. I teamed it up with my home made chipotles and made a stuffing for pork tenderloins, used in fried potatoes, and also in black lentils. I am going to be using it to make a pallella. Anyone else have any sugestions?

JDP


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## jkath (Dec 11, 2006)

suggestions, no, but feel free to give us a recipe or two


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## shpj4 (Dec 11, 2006)

I like what you are doing with your Spanish Chorizo and would love to see some receipes - I don't have any suggestions.


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## JDP (Dec 11, 2006)

*Chorizo and Gorganzola Torta*

My pleasure Jakth:

Torta (serves 3-4)
Preheat oven to 375

8-9 large eggs beaten with 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 medium onion thinly sliced and carmelized
2 meduim size baked potatoes cooled and sliced
8 oz thinly sliced Spanish Chorizo ( not Mexican)
2-6 oz gorganzola ( to your taste preference)

In an oven proof saute (10 to 12 inch) pan brown off the sliced potatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper.

When brown add chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat releasing the sausages flavor. You can add a little Hot smoked paprika at this time if you like a spice ( substitute cayenne if you you don't have the paprika).

Add onions and stir to combine ingredients. Pour in the egg mixture to cover the the rest of the items and add crumbled gorganzola on top of eggs. Cook till bottom is firm and place into oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until eggs are cooked. 

Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. Turn it out on a plate and slice into pie shaped wedges and garnish.

Has anyone else worked with Spanish Chorizo? Would love to get some more ideas.

JDP


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 11, 2006)

Spanish Chorizo vs. Mexican...explain the difference please.

I used to buy a Chorizo seasoning from a local butcher supply and made it out of pork or deer with pork fat...good stuff!


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## JDP (Dec 11, 2006)

Spanish chorizo is very different from the Mexican Chorizo. First of all its a completely cooked product. It has a deep red color and fairly dry. The membrane is edible. It is basically a pork and paprika sausage.  I don't know if it's smoked or if they are using a smoked paprika but the the flavor is unique and very good. I found mine in a specialty cheese and wine shop.


Try it you'll like it,

JDP


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## Half Baked (Dec 11, 2006)

I made the mistake of buying bulk chorizo at the international market and just the smell of it cooking was horrible.

I need to find a reliable source for the links.


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## JDP (Dec 11, 2006)

Half Baked look above for the difference between Spanish and Mexican chorizo's. You are right the Mexican chorizo can give off a pungent oder.

JDP


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## TATTRAT (Dec 11, 2006)

Chorizo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


This sums it up.

to each there own, I like the real deal, From Spain. It is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and makes a great addition to anything you need fat in. I  have used it interchangeably with bacon.


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 11, 2006)

I'll look for the "Spanish" variety first chance I get...

The seasoning I used to buy from the butcher supply was (I think) just tradtional breakfast/pork seasoning...with lots of garlic and crushed red pepper added....Very good!!  Hot and garlickly! 

My son brought home some Chorizo...Mexican I think...uncooked in a wrapper...I was not impressed.


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## TATTRAT (Dec 11, 2006)

chorizo is always cured, not raw. it is like Spanish salami, kinda...


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 11, 2006)

You are saying that Mexican Chorizo is cooked? Interesting...
The pkg said cook before eating...


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## TATTRAT (Dec 11, 2006)

Better known in the United States (and seldom encountered in Europe) are the Mexican and Caribbean versions. Based on the uncooked Spanish _chorizo fresco_, these versions are made from fatty pork (however, beef, venison and even kosher versions are known) that is ground rather than chopped and different seasonings are used in addition to chile...


From the link. There is a difference between Ttradititional, and "pseudo" chorizo.


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## PBear42 (Dec 12, 2006)

In my understanding, chorizo is a broad category, of which there are many varieties, including many Spanish varieties. The main two forms of Spanish chorizo are fresh and cured. Fresh is very hard to find in America, though I happen to have a source here in SF. Or you can make your own. IMHO, for most recipes, fresh is what you want. Cured, on the other hand, has become fairly easy to find. Traditionally, it isn't cooked - just as most Italian salami traditionally aren't cooked - though most I see has been, I presume for regulatory reasons. Given its texture - think pepperoni - I don't think it works well in most recipes, though sliced it pairs extremely well with manchego.

BTW, I've never found a reliable source for good Mexican chorizo (which, to my knowledge, is always a fresh sausage, i.e., neither cooked nor cured). If I want it, I make it myself. Interestingly, decent Filipino-style chorizo (albeit a little fattier than I like) is pretty easy to find here.


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## JDP (Dec 12, 2006)

That's a very good anology comparing the texture to pepperoni but the flavor is very different. I would disagree with your statement that it isn't that good in most recipes. I have been experimenting with it and found it to work well in a number of dishes and that is why I started this thread to find other fun uses for for it.

JDP


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## YT2095 (Dec 12, 2006)

it`s not very Chefy but I like it sliced in cheese mac, or slice up a load of it then deep fat fry it until it`s crispy, let it cool on kitchen paper to get excess fat off then put it in a paper bag to eat while watching the TV, probably not very healthy, but certainly tasty


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## karadekoolaid (Dec 13, 2006)

Every one to his own. 
Good Spanish Chorizo is delicious sliced thin and served with olives, a glass of Rioja and a slice or three of Manchego. 

You could, however, be adventurous and make a paella using chicken and chorizo instead of seafood. 

Take a large chunk, chop it`up into rough cubes, fry gently with plenty of olive oil and garlic, then blend it to a paste and use it to stuff mushrooms, or small cherry tomatoes. 

Find several chorizos ( if you can find one, there's a "Chorizo Gallego" which is smoked - mmmmm), chop them into thick pieces then make a stew with them, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, peppers, chunks of chicken. 

Traditionally, the Madrileños make something called " Cocido Madrileño" which is a sort of boiled dish including potatoes, cabbage, chorizo, skirt of beef and garbanzo beans. 

Chop some up fine in your next " Salsa 4 Quesos" ...


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## VickiQ (Dec 13, 2006)

When I was a little girl and stayed with my "Abuelita" chorizo was a common breakfast meat along with eggs.It was also used as a common base ingriedient much as bacon would be used to flavor things like potatoes and chicken and fish dishes. I had used it in recipes where andouille sausage was called for - when andouille wasn't so ready available in our area.Just the aroma of frying chorizo brings back wonderful memories of my grandmother and her kitchen!!Thanks for this post for bringing all those wonderful memories this time of year!!Merry Christmas or should I say Feliz Navidad  Love and energy, Vicki


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## Steve A (Dec 14, 2006)

I know I'm just beating a dead horse here, but the difference between Spanish and Mexican chorizo are as follows:

Spanish - dry, cured, pepperoni-like in that it can be eaten out of hand.
Mexican - bulk, wet, fresh ground pork-like. Must be cooked.

They cannot be used interchangably, but can be used in the same recipes - typically egg based - with different results.

When I lived in Spain, chorizo was a wonderful tapa as Clive allude to in his post. I also used to buy it to mix with scrambled eggs or render the chorizo and cook eggs in the paprika flavored fat.

They both have their uses and are wonderful in their own rights. But *DON'T* get them confused.

Ciao,


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