Chorizo

Spanish chorizo is sausage from Spain. It's hard. It's cured. It's smoked and fully cooked. Think pepperoni. And like pepperoni, it's pretty dang good. There's also a partially cured version that's softer. Spanish chorizo is inundated with garlic and smoked paprika. It's spicy or mild, but it's flavor is very different from Mexican chorizo. For the most part, they're not interchangeable in recipes. You can slice Spanish chorizo and sauté it a little, then add rice or vegetables or put it in a quesadilla, or whatever. Spanish cooking--as in, from Spain--has a lot of seafood and stewed dishes. Spanish chorizo goes well in stuff like that.   

 

You're probably already familiar with Mexican chorizo. It's soft. It's raw, like breakfast sausage in a tube. It crumbles when you cook it. Mexican chorizo comes in casing, and without casing. Unlike other sausage, you don't cook chorizo in its casing. You press it out, cook it in a pan, and fold it into eggs, beans, or maybe potatoes. There's pork chorizo and there's also beef. They're both good, but the old-school way is pork, in casing. Mexican chorizo is aromatic and tastes like crushed ancho chili and all sorts of spices. You'll taste clove, bay leaf, even cinnamon. 

Good Spanish chorizo can be bought online, but for the Mexican version, buy it fresh at a Mexican market. 

This pan of chorizo and eggs will feed 2-3 people: 

On medium heat, put a pound of Mexican chorizo into a pan and cook until done, chopping and stirring frequently. While it's cooking, beat a few eggs, three to five, and salt and pepper them. The egg-to-sausage ratio will be at your discretion. If you want it spicier, add fewer eggs. When the chorizo is cooked, pour the eggs over it, and continue to cook and stir until the egg is cooked. Remove it from the heat. Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas and fresh tomato slices, avocados, or smashed beans. Crusty French or Italian bread works well with chorizo and eggs also. 

 

This simple dish will give you a taste of Mexican chorizo. When you've gauged what you're working with, you can incorporate it into other dishes.