Homemade chorizo (Mexican spiced sausage)
Last December, my son and I went on a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with my family. Namely, my parents, my brother and his wife and two boys, and my sister and her husband. Thanks to my brother鈥檚 timeshare, 10 of us sprawled out over three hotel rooms, mixing and matching affinities and sleep schedules.
Yes, we are a very communal family. And it鈥檚听always been that way as far as I can remember.
Growing up, our trips to visit relatives in Indonesia听were similar. All five of us 鈥� two parents and three kids 鈥� would squeeze into an aunt鈥檚 or cousin鈥檚 bedroom. We tried to pile as many of us onto the bed(s)鈥攕ometimes two singles, a queen if we were lucky 鈥� and the rest got relegated to mattresses on the floor.听
My mom 听always used the term 鈥済elaran鈥� in Indonesian which I took to mean 鈥渟pread out wherever you can.鈥� When I actually looked up its meaning, it was 鈥渕at鈥� or 鈥渃arpet鈥� which I suppose makes sense? We did spread out on the floor like a mat or carpet.
That鈥檚 how we rolled, and apparently, still roll. Although this time, there were enough beds to go around.
I don鈥檛 mind it, and I have no problem being in close quarters with my dear ones. But I was sure听glad my husband wasn鈥檛 able to make it because of work. For him, a little of my family goes a long away.
Anyway, it was a fabulous trip!
We had plenty of sea and sun. And ate lots of great food.
But the highlight for me was a cooking class with Donna Jones who owns . I鈥檝e never been a huge fan of Mexican cuisine. I鈥檇 have enchiladas or tacos once in awhile but I鈥檝e never craved it. One听morning with Donna made me a proud convert.听
Donna鈥檚 enthusiasm was infectious听as she discussed the cuisine鈥檚 history and regional differences. She discussed cooking techniques, spices, and elaborated on chiles and salsas in extreme detail.
Halfway through the class it clicked 鈥� Mexican cuisine with its use of multiple chiles and spices is very similar to Asian cooking.听
- The equipment is similar. The molcajete is just like a mortar and pestle. The comal looks like a flat wok.
- The techniques are the same. Ingredients like chiles, tomatoes and spices are charred or toasted first. Then they鈥檙e blended into a spice paste (like a Thai curry or Malay rempah) traditionally with a mortar and pestle, and with a blender or food processor in modern times.
- The sauces are versatile, and can be used in myriad ways. A mole can bathe chicken or beef, or it can be used as a base for a soup or stew. Same goes for a red curry paste, it goes well with duck or in a soup for noodles.
- There鈥檚 no-waste. Leftover tortillas are turned into chilaquiles. In so many Asian cultures, leftover rice is turned into congee or fried rice.
- Mexican and Asian cooking can sometimes be laborious but both are worth the effort as they yield an absolutely delicious product.
Out of all the dishes I learned during听Donna鈥檚 cooking class, the one that stuck with me the most was chorizo. I鈥檝e eaten it and I鈥檝e seen it at the store but I鈥檝e never thought to make it. I changed my mind.
Many of the spices I know well 鈥� coriander, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf. And the method I can do on autopilot 鈥� toast the spices and puree with chiles and garlic. And another tidbit: chorizo (also called longganisa) shows up in Filipino听food听too thanks to a shared Spanish history!
Store-bought chorizo, with its flaming red hue and robust flecks of fat, has always scared me. But when I tried Donna鈥檚 homemade version, I was hooked. We ate them as sliders with a side of fresh guacamole 鈥� a match made in gustatory heaven. Ancho chiles (Capsicum Annum) are pretty mild, ranging from 3 to 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. They鈥檙e essentially dried poblano peppers and have a sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig.
Armed with new knowledge and perhaps a familiarity by association, I have gained respect for traditional Mexican cooking. And I鈥檒l be eating and cooking Mexican food a lot more often now!
Homemade chorizo (Mexican spiced sausage)
Adapted from
4 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 cloves garlic
4 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 allspice berry
1-inch cinnamon stick, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 to 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 pound 6 ounces ground pork or beef (try not to get lean meat)
1. Toast the ancho chiles in a dry skillet or griddle over moderate heat. Turn occasionally with tongs to prevent them from burning, until they begin to darken and smell pungent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic toward the end and keep an eye on them. Don鈥檛 let them blacken or they鈥檒l be bitter.
2. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover with about 2 cups boiling water and soak for 20 minutes, or until softened. Drain and cut into smaller pieces and place chiles in a blender with the garlic.
3. Meanwhile, toast the peppercorns, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, bay leaf, Mexican oregano, coriander seeds and thyme in a dry skillet over medium until fragrant. Grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
4. Add the ground spices, sea salt and 2 tablespoons vinegar to the chiles in the blender. Puree into a smooth paste, adding up to 2 more tablespoons vinegar to free the blades if necessary.
5. Using gloved hands, mix the spice paste into the pork. Cover and marinate for 3 days in the refrigerator, flipping often. Stuff into sausage casings or shape into sliders or freeze as bulk sausage. Cook as desired.
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