Chorizo?

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negolien

Master of the Pit
Original poster
Jan 1, 2020
1,987
1,679
Sacramento, Calif.
Hey All,

Seen an add for some chorizo at safeway for like 1.50 I like using sausage in my pasta. I usually just get signature select Italian sausage. Could i use the beef or pork chorizo instead?
 
If you have had chorizo before then you know it has sort of a tang to it. But I don't see why you couldn't use it in a pasta sauce since the flavors will blend.
I always use chorizo in my chili.
 
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The other thing I’d note about chorizo is that it is typically much greasier than Italian sausage. Some brands are less greasy than others. From a flavor standpoint I love chorizo.
 
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I’ve never tried it before, but it sounds really cool to try! Maybe an Italian version of Taco rice? I just googled chorizo pasta recipes and there are a bunch out there. I’d pick one and give it a go, be sure to post some pictures and tell us how it goes!
 
I'm in the I love Chorizo crowd, I would have no problem putting that in any dish. Because I like the flavor. Like jcam222 jcam222 mentioned
it can be a little more grease in the pan so just drain it.
And again , maybe buy it , cook it and try it first . Not knowing the brand or who mixed it . It might not be the taste you are looking for .

I have tried Johnsonville sausages loose and link , most I like but a couple I would not like in my Lasagna or spaghetti
But that is me, for the price I would buy it , fry it and try it first . Than add to your meal

David
 
Hey All,

Thanks you always come thru :<). It's just a cheap Cacique chub. I got the beef to try as I like beef in my sauce, but I have an issue over cookin ground beef so I been using Italian sausage lately. I will let you know Probably just gonna make some regular spaghetti with it. price of meats been crushing me lately I really need to start going to walmart instead of safeway for meat.

As a side note I will be making my baked beans again in a couple weeks :<)... Probably gonna try and grill it by using my big cast iron and cookin some ribs or a pork shoulder over it. Last time I did it in the crock pot.
 
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Up here in southern New England we have Portuguese chourico which is very similar to chorizo. Like the Frank's commercial I put that $?#! in everything!
 
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Hey All,

Seen an add for some chorizo at safeway for like 1.50 I like using sausage in my pasta. I usually just get signature select Italian sausage. Could i use the beef or pork chorizo instead?
The flavor profile of chorizo is way more Spanish or Mexican in flavor. So chili powder, paprika, cumin, and maybe some other stuff. Definitely not basil, thyme, and oregano flavors.

Can you try it in pasta? Sure. Will it taste Italian or blend with Italian flavors.... I don't really think so. Now if the meat is so blandly seasoned that it doesn't matter then no issue but know Chorizo is usually spiced pretty heavily.

Things to know about Chorizo. If you have Spanish Chorizo it is much more like a sausage you grill. Mexican Chorizo will pretty much turn into a crumble or be mush of a concoction and usually isn't even stuffed in casings.

The difference in flavor profile between Chorizo and beef/Italia sausage would be easily explained like you getting this:

-Italian Bolognaise sauce flavor, if you use beef or Italian sausage and Italian pasta sauce. All ingredients have stuff like Thyme, Basil, and Oregano, etc.

-Chili Mac sauce flavor, if you use chorizo and a regular can of tomato sauce. Sauce is more like a chili and less like an Italian Bolognaise sauce. Adding chili powder and cumin to the sauce would match way more with the Chorizo than Italian flavors.

-Frankenstein flavor, if you use chorizo which has cumin, chili powder, etc. in a sauce that has basil, thyme, and oregano. It would be edible but would be something different all together from two worlds of seasoning that generally aren't mixed together.


If you were to make a sauce and eat with pasta I would lean more towards buying a can of crushed tomato and seasoning for Chili flavor for the sauce (chili powder, some paprika, and a little cumin, oh and SPOG). I would then put over noodles and have a chili mac type dish. If you've never had a chili mac dish like this you are missing out!!! That stuff that comes out of a box is nowhere close to what you make in a situation like this with homemade sauce.

One final deviation to consider... if you use alfredo sauce then I think you would be fine with Chorizo. You would get something closer to a Spanish/Mexican/Cajun type alfredo sauce flavor but that is something I see in menu's depending on the restaruant u go into here in TX (Tex-Mex, Cajun, etc.)


You can make great pasta with the stuff but steering in the right direction will be the difference between "meh, it's edible" to "wow this is amazing". I hope this info helps. :)
 
If you like chorizo you HAVE to make some. I never stuffed and just kept it loose. Heck even used store bought ground pork a few times before I had a grinder. EASY and awesome. Much better than any I bought. For mine I used new mexican red chili powder in place of the paprika and cayenne, and used mexican oregano (yes, it does taste different), and a little msg. https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes/chorizo-mexican

tallbm tallbm AGREE and awesome info!

Heads up, there are TONS of "chorizo" formulas and takes on it just like "bratwurst" in Germany.
 
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Nice I think I could handle it although as said you are dealing with 2 different spice worlds.
Hey if you make and don't like it just give me a shout. :emoji_wink: :emoji_laughing:

Warren
 
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Things to know about Chorizo. If you have Spanish Chorizo it is much more like a sausage you grill. Mexican Chorizo will pretty much turn into a crumble or be mush of a concoction and usually isn't even stuffed in casings.

[/QUOTE]
I love it and tried smoking the Mexican charizo over Christmas. Even with my mesh rack alot of it was unreachable.
But it sure made a great dip ! 😀
Maybe wrapped in bacon next time ?
 
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Things to know about Chorizo. If you have Spanish Chorizo it is much more like a sausage you grill. Mexican Chorizo will pretty much turn into a crumble or be mush of a concoction and usually isn't even stuffed in casings.
I love it and tried smoking the Mexican charizo over Christmas. Even with my mesh rack alot of it was unreachable.
But it sure made a great dip ! 😀
Maybe wrapped in bacon next time ?
[/QUOTE]

I'd just set it on some foil or put in a foil pan and let the top get the smoke and allow smoke to penetrate top down. If you really wanted smoke to hit all of it, about halfway through you could mix it up so the meat touching the foil pan could get some direct smoke love.

Otherwise you get an unwieldy mush as you fought with :)
 
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Things to know about Chorizo. If you have Spanish Chorizo it is much more like a sausage you grill. Mexican Chorizo will pretty much turn into a crumble or be mush of a concoction and usually isn't even stuffed in casings.
I love it and tried smoking the Mexican charizo over Christmas. Even with my mesh rack alot of it was unreachable.
But it sure made a great dip ! 😀
Maybe wrapped in bacon next time ?

I'd just set it on some foil or put in a foil pan and let the top get the smoke and allow smoke to penetrate top down. If you really wanted smoke to hit all of it, about halfway through you could mix it up so the meat touching the foil pan could get some direct smoke love.

Otherwise you get an unwieldy mush as you fought with :)


I have made Charizo Verde , I will make reg next time , I loved it as a sausage and smoked it and also as loose meat. The Verde has Vinager in it so It was nice and tangy ,still like it both ways just better loose and also in the Mexican street corn I made

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So it can be used in links or loose for adding to meals.

But like others have said , different blending's of spice. Never know might be a new flavor burst

David
 
If you have had chorizo before then you know it has sort of a tang to it.
I add vinegar to my chorizo for the 'twang'

If you can find Johnsonville chorizo its my favorite. Great flavor and not to greasy.
On another forum, Johnsonville's chorizo came up.... I like it because it was not greasy but it's an American chorizo verses a Spanish or Mexican chorizo. During the pandemic we could not buy it, and someone suggested Walton's Chorizo. I rarely buy sausage seasonings, but I gave it a whirl and really like it. It is low enough in paprika that it doesn't 'bleed' like Mexican chorizo.

The flavor profile of chorizo is way more Spanish or Mexican in flavor. So chili powder, paprika, cumin, and maybe some other stuff. Definitely not basil, thyme, and oregano flavors.

Things to know about Chorizo. If you have Spanish Chorizo it is much more like a sausage you grill. Mexican Chorizo will pretty much turn into a crumble or be mush of a concoction and usually isn't even stuffed in casings
I like both Spanish and Mexican chorizo, and smoked Spanish is another level of flavor. I use fresh Mexican chorizo, or the Walton's chorizo ↑↑ cut 50:50 with ground meat for Mexican meatloaf. I also like chorizo patties with eggs for breakfast.

I don't care for the tubed 'mushy' chorizo, it's pretty salty and the list of ingredients is not up my alley.
 
I have made Charizo Verde , I will make reg next time , I loved it as a sausage and smoked it and also as loose meat. The Verde has Vinager in it so It was nice and tangy ,still like it both ways just better loose and also in the Mexican street corn I made

View attachment 521988 View attachment 521989 View attachment 521990 View attachment 521991 View attachment 521992

So it can be used in links or loose for adding to meals.

But like others have said , different blending's of spice. Never know might be a new flavor burst

David
WOW David !
Looks amazing. Do you offer a meal delivery package 🤔 ?
Asking for a friend....
 
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