Homemade Chorizo Sausage

Circle B Kitchen

The beauty of making your own sausage is being able to adjust the seasonings and ingredients to make it exactly how you want it. Below is the recipe as printed on the Serious Eats website. I’ve noted the changes I made in italics, and encourage you to use this as a jumping off point to create your own signature chorizo. If you don’t have a food grinder, no worries, you can do this in a food processor just as easily. If you want to skip the meat grinding altogether, just use already ground meat, add the seasonings and tuck it away in the fridge for at least 24 hours to marinate before using. The achiote is a traditional addition to chorizo that gives it that deep red color. You can find it in Latin and Hispanic markets; I found mine at the Savory Spice Shop (it's also called ground annatto), but it can be ordered online as well, or just leave it out.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used chicken thighs)

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder (I used 1 tsp chipotle chili powder and 2 tsp chili powder)

1/4 teaspoon ground achiote or annatto powder (I used almost a teaspoon)

3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1/2 teaspoon dried Mexicano oregano

(½ teaspoon smoked paprika)

(¼ to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder, or more, depending on your desired heat level)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons red wine or distilled white vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until homogenous. Let rest for at least 4 hours and up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. When ready to grind, grind through a chilled meat grinder fitted with a 1/4-inch plate (fairly course). Alternatively, working in 1/2-pound batches, pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. Knead chopped meat by hand in a large bowl, or with the paddle attachment in the stand mixer until slightly tacky. Cook as desired. Chorizo can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (and frozen, tightly wrapped, for months).