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Spanish chorizo sausage

My chorizo sausage supplier recently closed down and with that came the end of the most delicious chorizo sausages that I have had anywhere in the world. It was not too garlicky, had just the right amount of paprika and herbs and it was not too fatty. I realized that I have to make my own to satisfy my craving from time to time. Now, to make your own, is not that easy because there are as many recipes for Spanish chorizo as there are sausage makers. The only solution was to test various recipes, adjust, increase or eliminate certain ingredients … and I came up with this one. In my opinion, a huge success. Try and let me know.

This recipe makes 2 kg/4 lbs sausages, approximately 24 sausages of 75 g/2.6 oz each

1 kg/2 lbs shoulder of lean pork, trimmed
1 kg/2 lbs pork belly
4-8 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 teaspoons/5-10 ml dried chili flakes
25 ml/8 fl oz cider vinegar
3-5 teaspoons/15-25 ml Spanish Paprika
5 teaspoons/25 ml salt
1 tablespoon/15 ml oregano
2 teaspoon/10 ml freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon/15 ml brown sugar
2 m/6.5 in sausage casing

Coarsely mince the pork and pork belly or ask your butcher to do this, then mix all the ingredients together. Pinch off a small amount and fry it in a pan to check the seasoning. Make the necessary adjustments, if any, cover and marinate for 24 hours in a cool place.

Fill your sausage casings using the technique of your choice and twist the sausages into links every 7 cm/4 in.

This recipe is also suitable for a semi dried sausage which can be hung for 2 to 3 weeks. The longer you leave it the more the flavor intensifies but beware that after the drying process it should not be treated as a dried sausage. It still must be cooked thoroughly before eating.
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By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

One reply on “Spanish chorizo sausage”

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