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Chorizo
Recipe
The
most famous Spanish sausage is traditionally made on the third
day of the matanza. Preparation begins though as early as August,
with the drying of sweet red peppers which can be seen hanging
from terraces all over Andalucia.
There
are two main types of chorizo, picante (spicy) and dulce
(sweet). Both types of chorizo are widely used in many Spanish
dishes and of course make for an authentic Spanish tapas dish.
The
recipe below explains how families make their own years supply
of chorizo during the matanza period. If you would like to know
more about the Matanza read the article Andalucian
Matanza - a History.
You
will need:
14
kilos lean pork
2 bulbs garlic
Dry red peppers (about 20)
Cayenne pepper, for the chorizo picante (4 ounces minimum)
or Sweet paprika for the sweet version (as much as 1 lb is
used)
Small pig's intestines or false sausage skins
Method
- The
peppers are prepared in advance, by cooking gently in water
to soften. The seeds are discarded and they are chopped.
- The
pork is minced but not too finely.
- The
garlic is then peeled and crushed.
- In
a large bowl, the mince, garlic and peppers are mixed well and
the spices added. (Cayenne pepper for the spicy version and
Paprika for the sweet chorizo)
- The
ingredients are mixed again, usually by hand until they are
properly blended together and the mixture becomes a lovely rich
red colour.
- Using
the traditional "atacador" or sausage making machine,
the cleaned small intestines are filled with this mixture and
tied off at about 10cm intervals.
- The
finished chorizos are then hung in a cool dry place to cure
until they are ready to be eaten.
Chorizo
that have not fully cured are used in cooking and the "dryer"
chorizo, although it can be used in recipes, makes a delicious
tapas dish.
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