2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Chorizo, also called choriso, is a delicious spicy sausage made from pork, which originates from Spain and Portugal. Chorizo is extremely popular in Mexico, Argentina and other Latin American countries.
The main and most important ingredient of chorizo, thanks to which the sausage has a reddish color and a specific taste, is red pepper. Both sweet and hot red pepper can be used to make chorizo. The meat for the chorizo is pork, cut into large pieces, stuffed in natural intestines.
Chorizo has all sorts of variations around the world. In some Portuguese recipes, chorizo is left in the wine to have more flavor. In Spain and Portugal, they add fresh spices and herbs to chorizo to make it taste better. In Mexico, the meat is finely minced and instead of sweet, coarsely ground hot pepper is used. In some parts of Mexico, celery and garlic are added.
History of Chorizo
Chorizo has a long history and is closely associated with the ritual Slaughter of the pig - one of the gastronomic, festive and even religious traditions in most villages in Spain. It seems that the history of this sausage begins with the so-called. morchila - sausage with blood. In his Odyssey of the 9th century BC. Homer mentions intestines full of blood and fat that can be baked on fire. This is also the earliest reference for sausages.
Chorizo is probably the first of the Spanish sausages, defined by the Royal Academy of Languages in 1726 as a short piece of intestine full of pork, seasoned and smoked. During this time, however, the aroma of red pepper is not very well known for making sausage. Interestingly, however, modern chorizo owes its color to red pepper. But when did it start to be added? This valuable ingredient came to Spain in the 16th century from America. Previously, sausages were white or black in color (if made with blood).
Preparation of Chorizo
Photo: Nina Ivanova Ivanova
The main ingredients of the traditional chorizo for pork, bacon, paprika, garlic and salt. However, there are many recipes that can include spices such as pepper, cumin, bay leaf, thyme, onion, oregano and others. Each Spanish family can have its own recipe, but the main steps are 4 - the presence of sliced pork and bacon; mixing with all used spices; seasoning for 24 hours; maturation process.
The maturation process of chorizo is associated with exposure to air in the natural environment, and it is necessary to select suitable places based on their temperature and humidity.
The ripening period of the chorizo is a process of drying and acquiring texture as the natural aromas in the sausage develop. Chorizo ripens for about 50 days, sometimes smoked on oak wood and then left to dry in a cool place.
Types of Chorizo
There are different types of chorizo, and their division comes from the geographical area, the type of meat used, as well as the type of main pork.
1. Depending on the type of pork
Depending on the type of pork used, Chorizo iberico bellota (made with Iberian pork ham) is recognized; Chorizo Iberico (produced from the meat of Iberian pigs); Chorizo traditional home (made with pork and shaped like a horseshoe).
2. According to the type of meat
Depending on the type of meat, the sausage can be beef, venison, horse meat or wild boar meat. The wild boar sausage has a dark red color and a characteristic odor. This is a high quality product that is made from specially selected wild boar meat, pork, Iberian bacon, salt, garlic, parsley and various spices. Pork sausage has a high nutritional value and low fat content.
This type of sausage has the highest iron content, is the sweetest and most delicate in taste. Beef sausage is made from beef mixed with meat and / or bacon. Sausage made from venison has a very refined taste. Venison has a tender and clean taste, has a distinctive fine texture.
3. According to the region of production in Spain
Chorizo de Leon - this is a sausage made from pork, they have a smoky tasty and dark red color, characteristic taste and aroma. It is prepared in the shape of a horseshoe, with the ends tied.
Chorizo Galician - Galician chorizo is made from pork, bacon, paprika, black pepper, garlic and salt. The curing process goes through drying and smoking, and is later stored in fat or oil. It can be consumed directly or boiled, baked or fried.
Chorizo Extremadura - There is a lot of Iberian chorizo in Extremadura, but there is a typical sausage in the area, known as Patatera Extremadura. This is a typical horseshoe-shaped sausage, for the production of which baked potatoes (50%), fatty pork (40%), lean meat (10%) are used. The sausage owes its red color to sweet or spicy red pepper.
Chorizo de Navarre - It is possible that Chorizo de Pamplona was the first industrialized meat product, as the first Spanish meat factory was in Navarre. Chorizo is made in the large intestine with a diameter of 4 cm and a reddish color. It is flavored with salt, pepper and garlic, consists of pork, beef and bacon to a lesser extent. It is eaten raw, its structure is creamy and soft, but it has a strong and rich taste.
Chorizo Riojano - Chorizo from Rioja, which can be in the form of a string or a horseshoe. This is one of the most typical foods in Rioja, a land with a tradition in the production of sausages. This type of chorizo is firm and compact, has a balanced and intense aroma, dominated by garlic. Chorizo Riojano has a protected geographical indication.
Chorizo from Segovia - fresh pork sausage with added salt and pepper. Garlic and oregano can be added to them.
Chorizo from Cantabria - In the region of Cantabria, one of the most popular sausages comes from the small village of Potes. The ingredients used in their production are lean meat, bacon, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, oregano and thyme. The sausage matures in a natural environment with oak wood, smoked for 25 days, which gives it a distinctive and rich taste. The sausage can be eaten raw, fried or boiled.
Chorizo from Canarias - Chorizo and blood sausage are popular in the Canary Islands. The most famous chorizo on the islands is from the village of Terror. It is colored red because of the red pepper, but there is also a variety in white (without pepper).
Chorizo in cooking
Freshly prepared chorizo can be prepared similar to ordinary sausages - grilled, baked or barbecued. However, if the chorizo has dried well, it becomes an excellent appetizer for direct consumption, and its taste is perfectly complemented by a glass of good red wine. In our country, chorizo is mostly imported, so the option for direct consumption is more common.
However, chorizo can be used as a spicy ingredient in various pizzas and sandwiches. The good thing is that just a few slices of spicy sausage are enough to give a great look and a pleasant smoky aroma to the dish. Chorizo can be added to bean stew, potato casserole, heated, spaghetti. It can be served in combination with nice delicacies.
In Spain, chorizo is one of the main products in traditional cuisine. It can be used in sandwiches, garnishes, and the most classic way is served in the form of tapas. Cook with cider and butter; it is made on a stew with chickpeas, beans, potatoes or scrambled eggs.
