How to Make Mexican Chorizo from Scratch

A couple of weeks ago, I was teaching The Chopping Block's popular Chicago Neighborhoods class when the steak tostadas the students made looked so incredible, I knew I had to recreate them at home. In class, we layered crispy tostadas with refried beans, tomatoes, shredduce (very thinly shredded romaine), avocado, slices of perfectly cooked beef tenderloin, and a spoonful of bright tomatillo salsa. It felt like the universe agreed with my plan — my grocery store even had a tostada display waiting for me.

I didn’t have steak on hand, but I did have a piece of pork in the freezer that needed to be used. After a little brainstorming, I decided it was the perfect excuse to make homemade Mexican chorizo from scratch.

What is chorizo?

Before we begin, it’s important to understand that there are two different varieties of chorizo: Spanish and Mexican. They are very different from one another, so let’s break it down so you know which one to choose next time your recipe calls for chorizo.

Spanish chorizo is a smoked and cured pork sausage from Spain that’s highly seasoned with smoked paprika and garlic. This Spanish variety can be thinly sliced and enjoyed as is on a charcuterie board, used in various tapas, paella and soups.

Mexican chorizo is a fresh, raw pork sausage that needs to be cooked before eating that’s heavily seasoned with ancho and guajillo chili powder, garlic, cumin, cloves, Mexican oregano and vinegar. The seasoned pork is typically packed in a casing that’s removed before cooking. The meat is crumbly and cooks up just like any other ground meat and can be used in tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, breakfast scrambles or mixed with roasted potatoes.

Why make your own Mexican chorizo?

Mexican chorizo is a staple in my house. It keeps well in the refrigerator, adds bold flavor to just about anything, and is incredibly versatile. So why bother making it yourself? Have you ever looked closely at the ingredient list on some store-bought versions? In my opinion, there are some scary things in there such as pork salivary glands and lymph nodes. I’m sure they add flavor, but it kind of freaks me out, which is why I like to make my own!

To make your own Mexican chorizo, all you need is pork and a bunch of spices. You can use ground pork, which makes the whole process very quick and easy. In my case, I had a piece of pork loin in my freezer I wanted to use up. Pork loin is a very lean cut of meat, so I added about 4 ounces of bacon to my recipe to increase the fat content. Pork shoulder or pork butt would be the ideal cut for this recipe because of the higher fat content, and then you don’t need the bacon.

How to grind meat

Working with a piece of pork rather than using already ground meat meant I needed to grind my pork.

There are a couple steps to do this effectively:

• Cut your pork into 1-inch cubes, spread out on a sheet tray and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Grinding very cold/slightly frozen meat will prevent the fat in the meat from shmearing.
• While the meat is chilling, set up your meat grinder with the largest die and then grind the meat.
• Spread the ground meat out on your sheet tray and place in the freezer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
• While the meat is chilling, switch the die on your meat grinder to the smallest plate. Grind the very cold meat again into a mixing bowl. This progressive grinding (large die followed by the small die) will prevent the fat in the pork from shmearing and give you a more uniform texture.

Now that you have your ground meat, all you need to do is add the spices, dried herbs and vinegar. The vinegar gives the chorizo its characteristic tangy flavor and prevents the proteins from bonding, which allow for the crumbly texture when cooking. Once the pork has been thoroughly mixed with the seasonings, it’s time to make a test patty to ensure the mixture is seasoned to your liking. All you need to do is cook a small patty in a small nonstick pan until cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Cover the bowl of chorizo with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. It’s ideal to allow the meat to marinate overnight (8 to 12 hours), but I only had 2 hours before dinner time and it was still absolutely delicious.

When it’s time to cook your chorizo, heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. Add the chorizo and use a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and browned in some spots.

Homemade Mexican Pork Chorizo

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Inactive time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Start to finish: 2 hours, 35 minutes

1 1/2 pounds ground pork or pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

1 tablespoon guajillo chili powder

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder, or more to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon neutral oil

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons neutral oil for cooking and browning the chorizo

1. If using ground pork, place the pork in a mixing bowl. If using pork shoulder, place the cubes of meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes. While the meat is chilling, set up your meat grinder with the largest die and grind the meat. Place the ground pork in the freezer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the meat is chilling, switch the die on your meat grinder to the smallest plate. Grind the meat again into a mixing bowl. This progressive grinding (large die followed by the small die) will prevent the fat in the pork from shmearing and give you a more uniform texture.
3. Add all of the spices, dried oregano, vinegar, 1 tablespoon neutral oil and salt to taste to the pork.
4. Mix well until all of the ingredients are well combined. To ensure the seasoning is to your liking, make a test patty. Heat a small nonstick pan and add a splash of oil. Form a small patty of the pork mixture and cook on both sides until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a small plate, allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes and then taste the patty. Add more salt if needed.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is best.
6. When ready to cook the chorizo, heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the 2 tablespoons of neutral oil.
7. Cook the chorizo, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until you have small pieces. Continue to cook until the meat is cooked all the way through and is browned in some spots.
8. Use for tacos, tostadas, burritos, queso fundido or breakfast tacos! 
   
   

Use your homemade chorizo for anything you like! Last night we had a build-your-own tostada dinner complete with the tostada shells, warmed refried beans, diced tomatoes, shredduce (very thinly shredded romaine), roasted and diced poblano peppers, guacamole, sour cream, crumbled cotija cheese and a variety of hot sauces. I plan on using some of the leftover, cooked chorizo for my lunch today - I’m going to make a grain bowl with quinoa and all the leftover items from our tostada night!

Grinding your own meat and making homemade sausage mixture can seem intimidating at first, but it’s an excellent culinary skill to have under your belt. Join us for Sausage Making 101 on Wednesday, April 29 at 6pm for a comprehensive introduction into the world of making sausage from scratch.