Chorizo is such a preferential sausage. Some like it chunky and course ground, other like it fatty and sweet. It's as varied as the wine regions of France. It's really all about your preference. Mexican Chorizo is much different than Spanish Chorizo and Portuguese Chorizo as well.
Myself, I like lean and a medium grind so it has texture but not a lot of fat. I've written this recipe and modified it to help other newbies find their way to making a Chorizo they envision.
5 pounds boneless pork shoulder ( for a lean Chorizo) OR
5 pounds boneless pork butt ( for a fattier Chorizo)
6 tablespoons ground dried mild Red chile ( Paprika)
3 Tablespoons Ancho Chili powder ( 4 Tbs if you want more smokey flavor)
2 teaspoon of crushed hot chile pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder ( optional)
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano leaves, ground up
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground Cumin
1 tablespoons fine salt ( add 1 additional Tablespoon if you like a heavy salty flavor)
1/2 cup ice water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 Tsp cure
Grind and mix the above ingredients adding water and cider last.
For a chunky Chorizo use a course face plate on your grinder
For a smoother texture, use a medium Face plate.
Stuffing:
Freeze for 1 hrs prior to stuffing to firm up if you use a medium face plate.
stuff into 34-36mmm casings and link into sections.
Smoking:
*(I chose to use hickory and mesquite chips)
Cold smoking start at 120F, and raise smoker temp by about 10 deg f every hour until it reaches 170.
-Do not go above this temp or you may get fat rendering around the outside of the sausage.
Regarding the texture of your casing: If you want a smoother texture on your finished Chorizo ( like store bought) place a small portion of water in you smoker to keep things moist. Remove the water once you've reached 160 Degrees. ( I like a dry bark ( like on a Salami so I did not have water in the smoker).
Smoke until you get to internal temp of 155 F.
The graduated increase in heat takes 5 hours before your smoker is up to 170 degrees. The internal temperature of the Chorizo will still be around 130- 135 degrees when you hit 170. It may take up to an additional 3.5 hours @ 170 to reach the internal temperature of 155.
Approx 7 - 8.5 hrs in smoker.
Allow to cool to internal temp of 100 before moving to fridge. Allow links to cool and bloom in refrigerator overnight. *( You can see my outside texture is crisp like a Salami).
The end results are 28 individual Chorizo ( approx 5-7 inches).
Mine are lean and ideal for Gumbo, in eggs and rice dishes. I ground my pork though a medium face plate. My casing is crisp on the ends like a pepperoni or salami. I used only 1 Tbs of salt. Because its lean, the internal texture some would call dry but this is more like Spanish Chorizo I've had in the past. I'm not fussy about the feeling of my mouth coated in fat after a big bite of any sausage. It's all a personal thing.
~ Jump in and make it your own.
Myself, I like lean and a medium grind so it has texture but not a lot of fat. I've written this recipe and modified it to help other newbies find their way to making a Chorizo they envision.
5 pounds boneless pork shoulder ( for a lean Chorizo) OR
5 pounds boneless pork butt ( for a fattier Chorizo)
6 tablespoons ground dried mild Red chile ( Paprika)
3 Tablespoons Ancho Chili powder ( 4 Tbs if you want more smokey flavor)
2 teaspoon of crushed hot chile pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder ( optional)
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano leaves, ground up
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground Cumin
1 tablespoons fine salt ( add 1 additional Tablespoon if you like a heavy salty flavor)
1/2 cup ice water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 Tsp cure
Grind and mix the above ingredients adding water and cider last.
For a chunky Chorizo use a course face plate on your grinder
For a smoother texture, use a medium Face plate.
- mix well rest overnight in fridge
Stuffing:
Freeze for 1 hrs prior to stuffing to firm up if you use a medium face plate.
stuff into 34-36mmm casings and link into sections.
Smoking:
*(I chose to use hickory and mesquite chips)
Cold smoking start at 120F, and raise smoker temp by about 10 deg f every hour until it reaches 170.
-Do not go above this temp or you may get fat rendering around the outside of the sausage.
Regarding the texture of your casing: If you want a smoother texture on your finished Chorizo ( like store bought) place a small portion of water in you smoker to keep things moist. Remove the water once you've reached 160 Degrees. ( I like a dry bark ( like on a Salami so I did not have water in the smoker).
Smoke until you get to internal temp of 155 F.
The graduated increase in heat takes 5 hours before your smoker is up to 170 degrees. The internal temperature of the Chorizo will still be around 130- 135 degrees when you hit 170. It may take up to an additional 3.5 hours @ 170 to reach the internal temperature of 155.
Approx 7 - 8.5 hrs in smoker.
Allow to cool to internal temp of 100 before moving to fridge. Allow links to cool and bloom in refrigerator overnight. *( You can see my outside texture is crisp like a Salami).
The end results are 28 individual Chorizo ( approx 5-7 inches).
Mine are lean and ideal for Gumbo, in eggs and rice dishes. I ground my pork though a medium face plate. My casing is crisp on the ends like a pepperoni or salami. I used only 1 Tbs of salt. Because its lean, the internal texture some would call dry but this is more like Spanish Chorizo I've had in the past. I'm not fussy about the feeling of my mouth coated in fat after a big bite of any sausage. It's all a personal thing.
~ Jump in and make it your own.