On 2/18/2011 7:00 AM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
> "Bob > wrote:
> -snip-
>> 8 ounces chorizo, cooked
> -snip-
>
> I'm curious what a recipe means when it says 'Chorizo'. I haven't
> ever noticed it in our grocery stores- but when a Meat House opened up
> nearby I was poking around and found some packaged sausages marked
> 'chorizo'. 4-5 sausages to the pound, looked a lot like kielbasa.
>
> Then I found another one labeled chorizo. This one looked like a
> pepperoni.
>
> Are either of these what merryb makes?
>
> What makes a 'chorizo'- a 'chorizo'? and which one is usually meant
> in a recipe?
>
> [Both were good- but not worth the premium price to me. I must be too
> used to italian style sausages.]
>
> Jim

Chorizos will vary wildly - some are uncured with no binding agents that
fall apart, some will be a smoked, fully cooked product, some will be a
cured hard sausage.

To me, a chorizo should be flavored with garlic, cumin with some vinegar
but most of them don't seem to fit that flavor profile. I like the
uncured loose chorizos and will get some in that style when it's
available. I just bought some Farmer John chorizo tonight. It comes in a
chub packaging and just falls apart in the pan when you fry it leaving a
lot of reddish oil in the pan. I guess a lot of people would find it
disgusting but it is tasty.