Chorizo brings back memories of Goa. Goa was where we spent our summer holidays with our grandparents and uncle. The best part was the food….farm-fresh eggs, chicken, and lots and lots of pork. The pork was always one of the piggies we played with that made its way to the table. At that time, we didn’t realize why one or the other would go missing. I still remember the day when my sister learnt that her favorite pig Paklo was on the table….she stopped eating pork for a very, very long time. Eventually, years later, it was the taste of delicious Goan sausages which are very close to the Mexican Chorizo that lured her back to eating pork. It has been hard to make or buy Goan sausage and so, Mexican Chorizo is a great alternative. Are Goan pork sausages the same as Mexican Chorizo? They both use almost similar spices but they are not the same. Goan sausages, also known as choriz, are similar to the Portuguese chourico (Goa was once ruled by the Portuguese). It is cured like the chourico but unlike chourico, it still needs to be cooked before eaten. The Mexican chorizo is fresh and also needs to be cooked.

I hesitate to buy store-made sausages or chorizo after I read that it often includes mechanically separated meat (check the ingredients…you’d be surprised some of the top brands do that with hot dogs and sausages) and nitrates, which are supposedly cancer causing. Now that I figured out how to make this at home, it’s a easy way to have delicious chorizo on hand for tacos, burritos, with eggs or just about anything!

Servings: 3-4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

• Dry ingredients
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp red chili powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika powder
  • 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp clove powder
  • 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 lb ground pork (preferably a 70/30 meat/fat content)

Method:

• In a small bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients
• In a large glass or metal bowl, ad the ground pork, vinegar, garlic and the dry ingredients. Mix until the ingredients are all well combined
• Can be used right away or stored refrigerated in an air-tight container for 3-4 days for later use or freeze in a sealed freezer bag for up to 6 months
• Cooking Chorizo: To use right away:
  • Heat a pan and add a tbsp of oil
  • When oil is hot, add 1/2 a chopped onion. Fry onion for 2-3 minutes and then add chorizo.
  • Sauté for 7-8 minutes on a medium flame, stirring and breaking the meat up with the spatula, until it is fully cooked through and meat turns from bright red to reddish-brown
• I use this for tacos, and in burrito bowls