[USA] Chorizo Corner (Section 1) Chapters 1-3

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[USA] Chorizo Corner (Section 1) Chapters 1-3

Post by el Ducko » Tue Jul 17, 2012 16:05

Hi Sausagemakers,
Our good friend El Ducko has kindly offered to print his superb collection of Chorizo recipes here. I told him he should have published them as a book... (I`ve seen the incredible manuscript). He has chosen to share them with us instead. El Quacko...err..uh.. El Ducko (Russ in Texas) has spent countless hours researching this material while traveling and I hope he knows how grateful we are to view his work. He has promised he will continue to post more great chorizo recipes right here. Sorry fellow members - due to restraints in length of "chars", you'll have to post your comments in Hyde Park under "New Topic: Chorizo". Here's a quick link:http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?p=11402#11402 Thanks a truckload buddy!
Best Wishes, Chuckwagon


A Guide to CHORIZO

"Chorizo Corner [ Introduction & Table of Contents]"
"Chorizo Corner [ 1-Tex/Mex Blends and Advice on Handling Chiles]"
"Chorizo Corner [ 2-Spanish Chorizo (bonus: Paella recipe)]"
"Chorizo Corner [ 3-Interior Mexico (bonus: Mole recipe)]"
"Chorizo Corner [ 4-Yucatecan Chorizo (bonus: Annatto, Cochinita Pibil recipe)]"
"Chorizo Corner [ 5-Salvadorean, Colombian, Peruvian Chorizo (bonus: Cuy recipe)]"
"Chorizo Corner [ 6-Chilean (bonus: Conger eel recipe)]"
"Chorizo Corner [ 7-Uruguay and Argentina]"
"Chorizo Corner [ 8-Miscellaneous Chorizo Items]"
"Chorizo Corner [ Appendices]"
"Chorizo Corner [ Indices]"

CHORIZO - Introduction

Most Hispanic countries have their own version of chorizo, a marvelous-tasting fermented sausage which is, to the Spanish, like salami is to the Italians. Many inhabitants of former Spanish colonies have tried to make similar sausages, using local ingredients and methods. In most cases, they taste quite good but have a unique local flavor that doesn`t quite match that of real Spanish chorizo. ...whatever that is. You see, even Spain has a number of versions.

For several years, now, I`ve researched chorizo versions from various countries, and have discovered only one common factor- - they all taste good. Ingredients vary widely. Chile peppers, which furnish color as well as flavor and piquancy, begin with relatively mild paprika in Spain, get slightly hotter with the many and varied chiles of Mexico as we move south, and move upward to aji peppers as we reach South America. There are a few other colorants used such as annatto and turmeric, but the major difference is in the type and amount of chile peppers.

So let`s look at a variety of recipes. We`ll start where I did, with recipes from South Texas and Mexico. Then we`ll look at the Spanish version which started it all, then at versions from El Salvador, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina. Along the way, there`ll be couple of side diversions, because the food of northern Mexico differs from food of Yucatan, which differs from the food of El Salvador, Peru, Uruguay, and the like. We`ll only briefly touch on Tex-Mex, mentioning the more traditional food of "the wild horse valley," as the land between the Nueces and Rio Bravo (Rio Grande, to you gringos) rivers is known locally. We`ll do it in a series of postings, each with a couple of recipes, so our beloved ringmaster, uh, moderator, doesn`t get too riled up. ...and with one exception, we`ll keep it pork-based, so our beloved sponsors, the Marianskis, are assured that we haven`t wandered too far afield. After all, this IS a sausage-related website, right?

Chorizo Defined:
We turn to Wikipedia for a definition of chorizo, which references a book by Jerry Predika (1983), titled "The Sausage-Making Cookbook," Stackpole Books.
"Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.

"Chorizo can be a fresh sausage, in which case it must be cooked before eating. In Europe, it is more frequently a fermented, cured, smoked sausage, in which case it is usually sliced and eaten without cooking. Spanish chorizo and Portuguese chouriço get their distinctive smokiness and deep red color from dried smoked red peppers (pimentón/pimentão or colorau). Due to culinary tradition, and the expense of imported Spanish smoked paprika, Mexican chorizo (but not throughout Latin America) is usually made with chili peppers, which are used abundantly in Mexican cuisine. In Latin America, vinegar also tends to be used instead of the white wine usually used in Spain. Traditionally, chorizo is encased in natural casings made from intestines, a method used since the Roman times.

"Chorizo can be eaten as is (sliced or in a sandwich), grilled, fried, or simmered in apple cider or other strong alcoholic beverage such as aguardiente [a 40-proof crude rum]. It also can be used as a partial replacement for ground (minced) beef or pork."
Many of the New World`s chorizos are attempts to if not duplicate, at least come close to the flavor of the original chorizo, a fermented sausage from several regions of Spain. Those original chorizo recipes are for fermented sausages, and require very special conditions of bacteria, temperature, and humidity for their production. Try duplicating one of them with anything different and you will obviously not produce a duplicate. So, for example, we find vinegar included in nearly all of the New World recipes, even though acid inhibits development of protein structure and makes the sausage contents fall apart, rather than adhere and hold together. There is a certain tang that fermented sausages have. People like it.

Some say that vinegar is a substitute for wine. That may be right, too. It`s a fine point. Either way, the contribution to taste is indisputable. It`s good, or the practice wouldn`t have been retained.

In Spain, chorizo differs from longaniza in that they substitute black pepper for paprika and may have different spices like nutmeg. In Argentina and Uruguay, according to Wikipedia, longaniza is a very long, cured and dried pork sausage that gets its particular flavor from ground anise seeds. This results in a very particular aroma, and a mildly sweet flavor. It is a fermented sausage, rarely cooked. In Chile, longaniza is often substituted for chorizo in the popular choripán sandwich, grilled and served on a bun with chimichurri and other condiments. (We`ll cover both of these in the Argentina and Chile sections, below.) Unlike Spanish chorizo, longaniza can also be made of chicken, beef, or even (in the Philippines) tuna.

Spanish regional ingredients were not usually available in the New World unless imported from Spain. Locals incorporated available ingredients. Thus, there are many variations of chiles used in the chorizos of the New World, substituted for the paprika, the dried red peppers (pimento) available in Spain. Even Spain incorporated ingredients from elsewhere- - a good example being smoked paprika from Aleppo in what is now northern Syria, close to the Turkish border.

**************************************

CHAPTER 1-Tex/Mex Blends and Advice on Handling Chiles

CHORIZO - Texas/Northern Mexico In this section:
- Modern Texas production methods.
- Recipe from "Wild Horse desert" to show a more typical meat-based food offering, noting how unlike the usual Tex-Mex it is.
- Marianski version of Mexican style.
- A home sausage recipe for a typical-tasting but healthier chorizo.
- Yucatecan chorizo recipe based on annatto.
- To show how the food influences the sausage, a Yucatecan Cochinita Pibil recipe and pickled onion accompaniment recipe

Current Tex-Mex chorizo production in the USA has largely abandoned traditional Spanish techniques in favor of a product that is cheap to produce, captures the flavor of Spanish chorizo somewhat, and uses vinegar to impart the sour taste indicative of fermented foods without actually having to ferment. The result contains pork and beef "byproducts" (salivary glands and worse), and far too much fat. When fried, this crumbly mixture (a result of the vinegar) practically melts, except that it is partially liquid from the start. Any attempt to soak up the grease with a paper towel results in loss of much of the flavor, which is oil soluble. You can, of course, scramble eggs in it and then blot the result. Try it once, just to taste it. Then, clean up the mess and move on.

Starting Place: A "Dish From the Wild Horse Desert"
Surely we can do better than the commercial stuff with a homemade recipe. A good place to start into Texas/Mexican fare, across the menu board, is a delightful book called "Dishes from the Wild Horse Desert: Norteño Cooking of South Texas" by Melissa Guerra. This book-cum-memoir describes the author`s memories of growing up in South Texas, describing in detail the cooking in a region bounded by the Rio Grande and the Nueces Rivers, which is to say, from Brownsville to Corpus Christi, west to Laredo. There wasn`t much here, other than cattle ranches, until the 1920`s. An article from the Corpus Christi Caller-Times newspaper, a short history about the wild mustangs that lived in the region in the early years, furnishes a bit of early history. http://www.caller.com/new...d-horse-desert/ With the discovery of oil and gas in the area, the economy developed enough to build some infrastructure.

That enabled the leisure industry to grow, featuring beautiful, uncrowded beaches. Nowadays, "Winter Texans" flock to South Padre Island, although not in the droves once there. No thanks to the collapse of the Mexican peso (several times), the collapse of domestic oil drilling in the `70s and `80s, and the drug cartel violence along the border which began after the system of bribes and kickbacks was disrupted by voting the PRI out of office, poor little Corpus Christi, often called the "Sparkling City by the Sea," remains not quite a destination, not quite on the road to anywhere, needing a bath and a new coat of paint.

But we digress. Back to things edible. In South Texas, the favored breakfast item is the breakfast burrito. These tacos, best made with corn tortillas but usually with the flour version (which holds together better), feature scrambled eggs with a variety of additives. Unless you ask specifically for corn tortillas, flour tortillas are the delivery vehicle. Refried pinto beans, cheese, potatoes (home fries), bacon... just a few of the choices. ...and, of course, my favorite, "taquitos de chorizo con huevo," breakfast tacos of scrambled egg with chorizo.

To do this delicacy justice, several items should be noted.
1. Traditionally, salsa and fresh cilantro are added.
2. Never eat one in a moving car. Just like texting while driving, a taquito can cause the driver to lose focus, in this case swerving as the contents fall into his or her lap.

Once, on the way to the airport in brand new coat-and-tie, I managed to drop greasy chorizo con huevo onto a spot best not described. I cleaned it up as best I could, sighed, and boarded the morning flight to DFW. By the time I arrived at the offices in Fort Worth, all that was left was a greasy stain right where it shouldn`t be.

Unfortunately, I did get the job. It turned out to be a lateral move full of headaches, and nearly destroyed my career. I learned two things that morning:
1. Never eat a breakfast taco in the car, and
2. Never take a job with the word "Coordinator" in the title.
...but it did get me into a new hobby, homemade sausage, so it wasn`t all bad.

Years later and several jobs since, I have overcome the greasy chorizo problem. You can too. Make your own. Melissa Guerra`s book furnished a good starting place. (see pages 188-189) Melissa`s easy, simple-to-make recipe is as follows. Note that this version is not nearly as fatty as the commercially available chorizos of today. It comes in at about 23%, well inside the 20% to 30% recommended by many sausage makers.

Original Recipe...........Ingredient.........1 Kg (Total) Recipe............1 Kg (Meat Basis) Recipe
6 (about 4 ounces).....ancho chiles......8.2 gm (equals 0.8%)......10.6 gm
2 or 3 cloves..............Garlic, fresh........7.1 gm...............................9.3 gm
1 cup.........................white vinegar......81 gm or ml...................105 gm or ml
1 Tbsp.......................salt.....................5.1 gm................................6.6 gm
1 Tbsp............ground black pepper......5.8 gm...............................7.5 gm
1/2 tsp............. ground cumin................1.0 gm...............................1.3 gm
5 lbs...............ground pork..................771 gm (equals 77.1%).....1.0 kg
1 1/2 cups....................ice water............121 gm or ml...................157 gm or ml

Puree the ancho chiles and garlic in the water. Place the puree into a large bowl. Add everything else except the pork, and mix well. Then add the pork and mix by hand until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

A note about the recipes above and to follow: Where possible, I have given
the original recipe,
- a translation (if applicable),
- a list of ingredients,
- a conversion to a recipe which weighs one kilogram total, and
- a conversion to a recipe which has one kilogram of meat total.
The "1 Kg (Total) Recipe" gives percentages or fractions, so that for example you have 8.2/1000 or 0.8% ancho chiles and 5.1/1000 or 0.5% salt in the recipe.

How much spice is enough?
As will be discussed later, the Marianskis` book, "Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages," p195, gives guidelines on how many grams of herbs and spices are used per kilogram of meat. The "1 Kg Meat Basis Recipe" column is useful for comparing this recipe with the guideline, plus it make it easy to prepare ground meats ahead of time, freeze them in 1-kilogram bags, and thaw to make sausage.

Stan Marianski relates a story in the book (p.186) about giving some sausage to a well-known Polish sausagemaker, who commented "Great sausage, by why all those perfumes?" I find that many recipes exceed the book`s guidelines, and to be honest, I usually prefer the recipes` quantities over the book guidelines. However, this is not always the case. Use the Marianskis' and your experience as a guideline, tempering any recipe you choose to use. Remember- - it`s only a recipe, so do what pleases you. Use the following guidelines to identify whether or not a potential recipe is WAY off base.

Extract from Appendix D - Abbreviated Ingredient Percentage Recommendations
Item.........................Gm/1 Kg Meat (Marianski)..Chorizo Recipe Max (gm/kilo)
ground black pepper...2.0 - 3.0........................... 7.5
chile- ancho.........................................................24
Chile-chipotle (dried)...........................................10
chile-pasillo............................................................3
cloves (ground)..........1.0 - 2.0..............................0.2
coriander (ground)......1.0 - 2.0.............................0.6
cumin (ground)...........1.0.......................................1.3
Garlic, fresh................3.0 - 5.5............................18
oregano (marjoram)...3.0.......................................2
paprika (sweet)...........2.0....................................20.0

While we`re on the subject of the Marianskis` book, please note the inclusion of Cure #1 in the above recipe. Cure #1, also called Prague Powder #1, is 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt. There is good advice in several places in the book about curing. In particular, there are several items of note:
U.S. FDA guidelines call for 156 ppm of nitrite, 1 ounce per 25 lbs of meat. That is, for Cure #1 (Prague Powder #1):
(1 oz / 16 oz per lb)/(25 lbs meat) * (0.0625 fraction nitrite in cure) = 156 ppm
Nitrite cure helps retain red meat color and gives a subtle flavor enhancement.
Nitrates (Cure #2) have their place too, in dried and fermented sausages. We will not cover Cure #2 here because, with the exception of the fermented Spanish chorizo recipe, all recipes are for "fresh" sausage.
Best color is developed when meat is cooked at 140 to 160 deg.F.

Our own Tex/Mex Blend
Let`s reduce the amount of fat by making our own blend. Here`s mine (developed from several recipes found in cookbooks and on-line, then honed by trial and (mostly) error. ...hope you like it. Here are some places to "comparison shop" for recipes:
http://www.premiersystems...an/chorizo.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/...-233202,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/...-240202,00.html
http://www.mexican-barbec...izo-recipe.html
http://www.clubplaneta.co...o_de_toluca.htm

...and here`s my recipe, which can be found at
http://www.wedlinydomowe....t=chorizo+ducko

Original Recipe..........Ingredient......................1 kg (Total) Recipe.....1 Kg (Meat Basis) Recipe
2 lbs.....pork (fat trimmings removed) ........................689 gm..............800 gm
1/2 lb...pork trimmings ................................................172 gm.............200 gm
12 gm...non-iodized salt (reduce if using cure)..............9.1 gm............10.6 gm
3.1 gm..cure #1 (optional, ............................................3.0 gm...............2.7 gm
..............................mandatory if sausage is to be smoked)..... (142 ppm nitrite)
0.75 gm..pepper (black) ...............................................0.6 gm (0.06%)...0.7 gm
20 gm..garlic (6 medium cloves - fresh) .....................15.2 gm (1.5%)...17.6 gm
24 gm...chile- ancho (remove stems & seeds, grind) ..18.2 gm (1.8%)..21.2 gm
13 gm..chile-pasillo (remove stems & seeds, grind) .....9.9 gm (1.0%)..11.5 gm
0.2 gm..cloves (ground) .............................................0.15 gm (0.02%)...0.2 gm
0.7 gm..coriander (ground) .......................................0.53 gm (0.05%)...0.6 gm
0.4 gm..cumin (ground) ..............................................0.3 gm (0.03%)....0.4 gm
0.4 gm..oregano .........................................................0.3 gm (0.03%).....0.4 gm
7.8 gm..paprika (sweet) .............................................5.9 gm (0.59%).....6.9 gm
100 ml..vinegar ...........................................................76 gm or ml..........88 gm or ml

This sausage weighs in at 22% fat and 1.1% salt. The salt is increased slightly by the addition of cure #1. Best range for salt is less than 3%. My preference is for about 1%. Yours may vary. Cure standard is 156 ppm nitrite, which conforms to American as well as European standards.

For the chiles, shop in the Hispanic section of your local food market. Some equivalents:
---(Use about 3) 5 chiles anchos mulatos = 53 gm whole, 37 gm seeded
---(Use a large one) 2 chiles passillas = 29 gm whole, 23 gm seeded

Notes:
Dissolve salt and cure in water/vinegar before mixing them and the spices into the meat, for better distribution.
Season for a day or two in the refrigerator, then stuff. I use this sausage in crumbled for, so I usually put it into plastic sandwich bags rolled to look like stuffed sausage. These fit nicely, side by side, into one-gallon plastic freezer bags.
Fresh sausage is good for three days, so freeze what you don`t need immediately and pull it out, a link at a time, as you need it.
Use cure, whether you smoke the sausage or not. Do not smoke unless cure is added.

Marianski Blend: "Chorizo - Mexican"
The book, "Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages," BookMagic LLC, by Stanley and Adam Marianski, contains a wealth of information on sausage making. Their recipe(p.216) is included here, for comparison.

Original Recipe...........Ingredient.....1 Kg (Total) Recipe.....1 Kg (Meat Basis) Recipe
1.0 k.....2.20 lbs.....Pork butt..............882 gm.....1000 gm
18 gm...3 tsp..........Salt.....................15.9 gm.....18 gm
4 gm.....2 tsp.........Pepper, black..... 3.5 gm.....4.0 gm
4 gm.....2 tsp.........Pepper, cayenne...3.5 gm.....4.0 gm
1 gm.....1 tsp.........Oregano................0.9 gm.....1.0 gm
7 gm.....2 cloves....Garlic.....................6.2 gm.....7.0 gm
50 ml.....1/5 cup....White vinegar.........44 gm ......50 gm or ml
50 ml.....1/5 cup....water........................44 gm.......50 gm or ml

Note there is considerably less chile and garlic in their recipe. This one has about 18% fat and 1.6% salt. Sausage making is all about taste, and everyone has their own preferences. It would be unreasonable to expect a Polish immigrant to Florida to have the same tastes as a South Texan, especially in the chiles category. Make the one that YOU like best.

Food Handling: Chiles
While we`re at it, let`s add an admonition about chiles and their handling (from my web post cited above):
Hazard prevention. (The following is ripped off from http://missvickie.com/how...s/heatscale.htm which you should refer to for additional information on pepper types and such.)
How to Stop the Heat Its a good idea to use gloves or put plastic baggies over your hands to avoid getting the hot oils on your skin. Alternatively, if nothing else is available, you can try to protect your hands by coating them lightly with vegetable oil as a barrier. Never touch your eyes or mouth, or any part of your body when handling hot peppers.
Putting Out The Fire
On your skin: Water only spreads the fire so don't wash your hand until you neutralize the heat. Capsaicin - the compound that gives peppers their heat isn't soluble in water, but chlorine or ammonia turns it into a salt, which IS soluble in water. In a little bowl add 1 part bleach to 5 parts water and just dip your hands quickly, but don't soak your hands in this solution or it may irritate your skin.

In your mouth: Many people recommend drinking tomato juice or eating a fresh lemon or lime, the theory being that the acid counteracts the alkalinity of the capsaicin.

Dairy products are a good antidote to overheating. Capsaicin dissolves easily in the fats found in dairy products. So when you put a dab of sour cream in your mouth along with (or after) a bite of hot stuff, you're adding pretty effective dilution. The capsaicin and dairy fats mix together, keeping some of the capsaicin molecules from finding the pain receptors on your tongue. Remember, though, it's the fat that provides the relief, so don't expect the same results from low-fat sour cream or nonfat yogurts. This antidote tones down many spicy cuisines, from the use of sour cream with Mexican food to the yogurt condiments eaten with Indian meals. In Thai cuisine, rich coconut milk serves much the same purpose,

And finally, this advice: Wear rubber gloves when making sausage, and wash frequently. It's not only more sanitary, it guards against pepper problems.

***************************************

Chapter 2 - CHORIZO - Spanish
Traditional techniques, two recipes with citations, several Spanish regions` product descriptions.

The Spanish versions of chorizo are what started it all, so let`s explore Spanish chorizo a bit. I`ll start by again borrowing from Wikipedia, and note that they do a great job by accepting contributions from many readers, edited by many readers, providing a valuable asset for us all. (Please consider contributing both knowledge and money.)
"Chorizo can be a fresh sausage, in which case it must be cooked, but in Europe it is more frequently a fermented cured smoked sausage, in which case it is usually sliced and eaten without cooking. Spanish chorizo and Portuguese chouriço get their distinctive smokiness and deep red color from dried smoked red peppers (pimentón/pimentão or colorau)."

Think of chorizo as the Spanish version of salami. It can be eaten as such, but is probably more often used as a seasoning for other dishes. My personal preference is chopping it up, frying it a little in the pan before adding eggs, then adding and scrambling a couple of eggs in the pan. Readers who know Spanish food will recognize this as similar to a Spanish "tortilla," a round, flat egg dish similar to an omelet. All sorts of additives can be included. Onion and bell pepper are family favorites. Those of us who live in Texas and northern Mexico, however, refer to this as "huevos revueltos con chorizo," scrambled eggs with chorizo. (...or in my family, "revolting eggs with chorizo." Hey! What can I say? We enjoy our breakfasts together, often trampling several languages at a sitting.)

The last few years have seen the availability of Spanish imports as well as a few local attempts. Please try them. This will establish a benchmark for comparison. Our local grocers, the "HEB" chain, carry one or two different Spanish-style chorizos at a time, fermented and dried and vacuum packed. These differ from the local Tex-Mex variety, which is a fresh sausage with far too much fat and with parts of the hog that are not normally mentioned individually in the ingredient list printed on consumer packaging. Like legislation, some sausage components should not be discussed in polite company. If you are into "parts and byproducts" as well as sausages with 50% or more fat, try `em. ...once, for comparison. Then, try one or more of the recipes that follow.

The Spanish language side of Wikipedia gives a good discussion of chorizo in general. Parts of http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo are translated below, for your enjoyment and edification.
Chorizo en España
En España es un embutido curado (bien al aire, bien ahumado), elaborado principalmente a base de carne de cerdo picada y adobada con especias, siendo la más característica el pimentón, que es el elemento más distintivo del chorizo frente a otras salchichas, y también el que le da su color característico rojo. La piel de este tipo de salchicha suele ser intestino delgado de cerdo, aunque también se utiliza el intestino grueso del mismo para la variedad de chorizo cular. En España, para que un embutido sea llamado chorizo, ha de llevar necesariamente pimentón y ajo; esto lo diferencia del chorizo de otros países.3 Es popular la tortilla de chorizo.
Chorizo in Spain
In Spain, Chorizo is a cured sausage (either air, or smoked), made mainly of minced pork and seasoned with spices, the most characteristic of which is paprika, the most distinctive element of chorizo when compared with other (salchichas) sausages, and which also gives it its characteristic red color. The skin of this type of sausage usually is pig small intestine, although the large intestine is used. In Spain, for a sausage to be called a chorizo, it must primarily feature paprika and garlic in lead roles. This differentiates it from other countries` chorizos, which often do not. The chorizo omelet is popular.
Entre las variedades de chorizo es famosa la riojana, así como la de Pamplona, que se caracteriza por usar carne muy finamente picada. Otros chorizos afamados se pueden encontrar en la provincia de Salamanca, así como en Segovia (destacan los de Cantimpalos, IGP), Potes (Cantabria), León, Asturias (generalmente ahumados) y Navarra, donde son populares sus chistorras.
Among the varieties of sausage are famous Rioja, as well as that of Pamplona, which is characterized by using very finely chopped meat. Other famous chorizos can be found in the provinces of Salamanca and Segovia (Cantimpalos, PGI region), Potes (Cantabria), Leon, Asturias (usually smoked) and Navarre, where their chistorras (chorizo production places) are popular.
For a fermented example, our good friends the Marianskis at http://www.wedlinydomowe....recipes/chorizo provide the following commentary and recipe, plus a list of variations.
"Spanish Chorizo is a dry sausage made from cured pork and is air dried until ready for consumption. Pork is coarsely chopped and seasoned with pepper, paprika and garlic. Spanish smoked paprika (sweet, bittersweet or hot) known as Pimentón gives it its deep red color.

Original Recipe.....Ingredient............................................1 Kg Standard Recipe.....
1000 g.....2.20 lb......lean pork, ham or butt (<20% fat).....937 gm.....
28 g............5 tsp......salt...........................................................26.2 gm.....
5.0 g..........1 tsp......Cure #2...............................................4.7 gm.....
2.0 g..........1/3 tsp......dextrose (glucose), 0.2%....................1.9 gm.....
2.0 g..........1/3 tsp......sugar, 0.2%.........................................1.9 gm.....
6.0 g...........3 tsp......pepper.................................................5.6 gm.....
20 g..........10 tsp.....Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón).......8.7 gm.....
2.0 g...........1 tsp.....oregano...............................................1.9 gm.....
2.0 g..........1 tsp.....garlic powder.......................................1.9 gm.....
.......(or 2 cloves [7 g] fresh)
0.12 g.....use scale.....T-SPX culture.................................0.11 gm.....

Instructions
1. Grind pork through 1/8" plate (3 mm).
2. Mix all ingredients with meat.
3. Stuff firmly into 32-36 mm hog casings, form 6" long links.
4. Ferment at 20° C (68° F) for 72 hours, 90-85% humidity.
5. Dry for 2 months at 16-12° C (60-54° F), 85-80% humidity.
6. Store sausages at 10-15° C (50-59° F), <75% humidity.
Notes
Spanish Chorizo Types:
Chorizo Riojano - pork, salt, hot pimentón, sweet pimentón, garlic.
Chorizo Castellano - pork, salt, hot pimentón, sweet pimentón, garlic, oregano.
Chorizo Cantipalos - pork, salt, pimentón, garlic, oregano.
Chorizo Navarro - pork, salt, sweet pimentón, garlic.
Chorizo Salmantino - lean meat, salt, pimentón, garlic, oregano.
Chorizo Andaluz - pork, salt, black pepper, pimentón, cloves, garlic, white dry wine.
Chorizo Calendario - pork, beef, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano.
If, like me, you don`t have the equipment to properly control temperature and humidity while your sausage luxuriates in its fermentation, try a homemade Spanish chorizo done as a fresh sausage. Here`s one from http://www.sausagemania.com/recipes2.html. Quoting again, chorizo...
"...can really be made only in Spain, where entire villages are devoted to its manufacture, The product is air-cured for up to four months in special high-ceilinged rooms. Some chorizo is smoked; some is not. This recipe does not call for smoking, but because the dominantflavoring is smoked paprika, the sausage has a refined smoky flavor that does not overpower.

"The Aleppo pepper adds a rich red pepper overtone as well as a mild (and delayed) piquancy that slowly fills the mouth with warmth rather than assaulting the tongue and palate in the more forthright manner of jalapeños or hot chili peppers.

"Grind the pork coarsely (3/8" or larger plate). You may have difficulty finding Aleppo pepper, also known as Near East pepper, ground from a sweet, sharp chile grown in the Aleppo region of Syria. One source we know is World Spice Merchants, in Seattle, Washington. Smoked paprika, from Spain, comes in three varieties: sweet, bittersweet and hot. We use the sweet (dulce) variety.

"Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for 24 hours. Stuff into medium hog casings. "

Original Recipe.....Ingredient.................................1 kg Standard Recipe.....
2.5 lb.....1.13 kg .....Ground pork............................820 gm.....
4 tsp.........20 gm.....Coarse salt.............................16.4 gm.....
4 cloves...20 gm....Garlic, finely chopped.................16.4 gm.....
1 tsp.......2.2 gm.....Ground nutmeg ........................1.8 gm.....
2 T............30 gm.....Brown sugar ...............................24.6 gm.....
2 T...........6.3 gm.....Smoked paprika ......................5.2 gm.....
2 T...........6.3 gm.....Aleppo pepper .........................5.2 gm.....
I would advise adding the appropriate amount of cure #1 here (150 ppm of sodium nitrite, which is 6.25% of cure #1, so about 2.7 grams for the 2.5 pound batch), whether or not you plan to smoke the sausage. (Back down on the salt as appropriate.) For an alternate source of herbs and spices, try Penzey`s, which has a sizeable mail order operation as well as retail stores in many cities across the USA.

A Spanish Dish - Paella:
Chorizo is wonderful as a seasoning. Here, for example, is a recipe given to me a number of years ago by a homesick Spanish friend named Jose M. Padillo, who lived in Dallas at the time. This is his family`s take on the classic dish, Paella, with a few of my own notes. He could get advice from his relatives, whereas I couldn`t, so where information is left out of his version, I occasionally learned some of them the hard way. Alongside his recipe and my translation is a version from "Frugal Gourmet" Jeff Smith ("The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors," pp 456-7). His recipe serves to highlight what can be substituted, but also points out how Americanization can creep into a recipe.

Is the recipe authentic? Well, to make a long story short, we once asked a stewardess on a flight to Madrid where to eat, especially paella. ...bad idea. She rolled her eyes and made an off-color remark about "they eat `things with eyes` .there." Like most Americans, she thought in terms of American fast food, something which should have tasted like it was from a familiar Tex/Mex fast food chain that she knew from home. Spanish food is a much more refined, European style of dish. Spanish is to Tex/Mex fast food as French food is to French toast fast food. What a pity that she, like many tourists, was unwilling to step outside the familiarity of the aircraft cabin or away from the guided tour in English when traveling.

Madrid is more European than Spanish, yet has its own unique Spanish soul. Sevilla has that special quality, even more so. The pueblos blancos, little old fortress towns perched on the top of rocks in bends of the rivers, have a medieval atmosphere and are a rare delight. Cadiz is unique, especially in historical perspective- - centuries from now, one could stand on its shores and think about shipping out for the New World, be it 15th century America or the orient or maybe, by then, new worlds in space. ...and the food, unique with its European and North African roots, was fabulous along the entire route.

But, back to reality. Enjoy the following recipe, which compares my friend`s family preferences with an American cooking author`s. Note that Smith uses everything in sight, whereas the Padillo recipe is rather spare in its detail. This is where family upbringing and advice come in.

One major item of note: in cooking paella, heat transfer is a serious problem. The typical paella pan is shallow and open, whereas rice is usually cooked in a deep, covered container. Why the difference? Well, it was explained to me that the various components of the paella offer their juices and flavors to the rice, and that those flavors would become unidentifiable if mixed. The problem, though, is that rice is not steamed very well in an open container, nor are the ingredients on top cooked very well.

The secret, which usually isn`t written down, is to pre-cook any ingredients which require thorough cooking before they are added. There will be some further cooking of everything as the dish progresses, so delicate items such as clams, mussels, squid, and shrimp should be added as the rice cooks, and the chorizo and vegetables should be sliced thin so as to cook or render more rapidly. Bulky items such as chicken and whole fish should be cooked earlier (pan fried is good) or they`ll NEVER be done, or if they are, only they will be and everything else will be overcooked. As each pre-cooked item is prepared, keep it and its juices in a separate container. Add by placing each item randomly about the pan, then go back and pour a little of the juice onto each. This localizes the flavors just a bit, producing pockets of flavor, and in my opinion increases the enjoyment of eating. (Those who mound food will miss out, but you and I, knowing better than to mix everything...)

To begin, though, let`s be practical and make a trial run or two. For own edification (and to avoid embarrassment if you wait until guests have arrived and your dish doesn`t turn out okay), make a test run in your paella pan, using only rice and water. Put the pan on the biggest, meanest, highest heat burner you have, add the rice and water, and cook this trial batch at high heat to both clean the pan and to check heat input. Gas stoves, propane burners, even turkey fryer burners (throttled) are appropriate. Electric stoves sometimes don`t deliver enough heat.

Next, when you are satisfied that you can successfully input enough heat, make a second test run to refine your settings, making sure you have the heat input right, meaning both sufficient and evenly distributed. Sauté the onions, sauté the rice, then add boiling water, then the rice. Adjust heat to "bubbling uniformly," and hold for 20 minutes. Spanish Arborio rice is typically used. Oriental or Basmati types are not appropriate. Some people find that tenting the pan with foil helps. If it works, great, but be aware that having to do this means you don`t have enough heat flux.

There as many variations on paella as there are Spaniards, times ten. Consider adding other ingredients, such as artichoke hearts and Spanish olives. ...anything typically Spanish or Mediterranean will do. Make a list of ingredients, then rearrange the ingredients in order of how long it takes to cook. Include rice in the list. Anything that takes longer than rice, such as chicken or whole fish, needs to be cooked first. Anything that takes a shorter time should be added as the rice cooking starts, such as seafood. Rice is the key ingredient. When the rice is done, the dish is done.

Now lay out the ingredients in cooking order. Frozen ingredients should be thawed carefully. Frozen sea creature mixtures are best thawed in running cold water with ice, then placed in ice water or refrigerated until needed.

When ready to start, everything on the list above rice should be cooked sufficiently that it will steam or remain warm when the rice is cooked. Everything below rice should be added as the paella pan begins to heat, or part way through the cooking.

Original.........................................Translation...............................Frugal Gourmet.....
1 Kg. Mejillone frescos..............................2 lbs. fresh mussels.................1 lb mussels .....
1/2 Kg. Gambas frescas......................1 lb. fresh shrimp.................1/2 lb. Shrimp.....
1/2 Kg. calamares cortados en ruedas....1 lb. squid cut in circles..........
1 Kg de almejas frescas.............................2 lb. fresh clams..................1 lb. clams.....
1-2 Kg. de Pescado fresco (con cabeza)..2 - 4 lb. fresh fish (with heads)..........
................................................................................................2 lbs. Chicken thighs.....
...............................................................................................1/2 lb. Pork (cut in cubes)
................................................................................................1 cup cubed ham.....
100 g chorizo en rodajas..................4 oz chorizo sliced in rings............1/2 cup sliced chorizo
trozo de pepino...............................one cucumber (cut into sticks)..........
2 Cebollas bien picada..........................2 onions chopped well.................2 yellow onions.....
3 Tomates pelados.................................3 peeled tomatoes..........
1/2 Pimiento.............................................1/2 red bell pepper, cut up.........1 red bell pepper, sliced
... .............................................................................................1 cup peas.....
1 Cabeza de Ajo lavada...................1 head of garlic...........................2 cloves garlic
....(y un majado de 4 dientes pelados)... (plus 4 cloves peeled and crushed)..(crushed)
Laurel.............................................................Bay leaf..........
Colorante.......................................................coloring.........................................1 tsp paprika.....
..... .............................................................................................2 Tbsp annatto oil.....
Aceite de Oliva..............................................olive oil..........
Azafran...........................................................saffron......................................1/8 tsp crushed saffron
Sal....................................................................salt....................................................salt.....
.... ...............................................................................................1 cup dry white wine
Avecrén de Pescado....................................2 Fish bouillon cubes ..........
.....(see below).. .........................................(see below)..............3 cups chicken stock.....
Arroz.........................................................rice...................................2 cups rice.....

For the broth, for the home-style recipe, do as follows. (To be honest, ignore Smith`s advice and use this method. using either chicken broth or preparing the seafood broth. It seems a bit counter-intuitive, but it works well.)

Original.....Translation
Caldo:
En un caldero poner agua limpia (contar las tazas de agua que se ponen) a hervir. Añadir 1 cebolla partida, un tomate, trozo de pepino, cabezas de Pezcado. Añadir sal y 2 pastillas de Avecrén Pescado y un majado de ajo.
.....Broth:
In a soup pot, put clean water (count the cups of water that you add) and heat. Add one chopped onion, one tomato, a cucumber, the fish heads. Add salt and two tablets of fish broth and the crushed garlic.
Fritura y Cocinado:
En la Paellera se pone un poco de aceite que cubra todo el fondo. Se frien los calamares hasta que esten dorados. Se retiran a un plato. En el mismo aceite se añade la cebolla picada, los tomates picados, el pimiento troceado y el ajo. Se deja a fuego medio hasta que esta todo bien frito. Se incorporan los calamares a la fritura. Se le añade el Caldo colado (contar las tazas de caldo gue se añaden, 2 tazas de Caldo por 1 taza de arroz). No usar todo el caldo. Cuando el caldo hierva se le añade el azafran, un poco de sal, 1 pastillas de Avecrén Pescado, el arroz (mitad de tazas de arroz gue de caldo). Y finalmente poner los mariscos y trozos de pescado.
.....Frying and Cooking
In a paella pan, put olive oil to cover the bottom. Fry the calamari until golden. Remove to a plate. In the same oil, add the chopped onion, chopped tomato, bell pepper pieces, and the garlic. Place over a medium flame until all is medium fried. Add the calamari back into the fried mixture. Add the strained broth (count the cups added, two cups of broth per one cup of rice). Don`t use all the broth. When the broth boils, add the saffron, a little salt, one cube of fish bouillon, the rice (half as much rice as broth). And finally put the seafood and fish.

(The Frug uses Uncle Ben`s rice and cooks the dish covered. Bleah.)

TIP: Añadir mas caldo que lo que pide la formula 2/1. Poner una taza de caldo adicional por cada 2 de arroz. (Ex: 3 tazas de arroz = 6 tazas +1.5 tazas de caldo)
.....Tip: Add more broth than you should for the formula 2:1. Put an additional cup of broth for each 2 cups of rice. (Example: 3 cups of rice = 6 cups + 1.5 cups of broth.)

Both recipes come out well, but I think the family recipe is better. The list of ingredients, as well as the amounts, is limited only by your imagination. Preparing paella is time consuming, but a real dinnertime show for guests. Enjoy.

*********************************************
Chapter 3 - Interior Mexico:

Turning once again to the Spanish version of Wikipedia for our introduction: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo
Chorizo en México
El chorizo es un elemento importante en la cocina mexicana, aunque la longaniza llega a ser más conocida en ciertas partes del país debido a su facilidad de producción pero sin quitarle el lugar al chorizo, pues llega a ser incluido en cualquiera de las comidas diarias. En su mayoría están elaborados con las entrañas de cerdo, pero también los hay de res, de pollo y de pavo. Casi siempre la tortilla está presente cuando el chorizo es consumido, por lo general en tacos a los que se les agrega cebolla frita, cilantro, papa y jugo de limón.

La ciudad de Toluca se ha afamado por la elaboración y por las variedades que ofrece de este embutido. Una de las especialidades en Toluca y singular en la gastronomía de México, es el chorizo "verde nombrado por el colorante que ciertas plantas locales le dan. A ese tipo de chorizos se les suele agregar cacahuates y otros condimentos prehispánicos. De acuerdo con la variante de la receta, estos pueden ser picantes o no, este es uno de los más sabrosos y delicados.

Por otra parte, el "chorizo norteño" que se fabrica en los estados de la frontera norte suelen ser más pungentes y también más picantes que los del centro o del sur. Para este tipo de chorizo se utilizan variedades de chile como el chilpitin, cortez o de árbol, así como el vinagre blanco o el de manzana. Tanto en los estados de Guerrero como en el deYucatan, al chorizo se le añade más color con achiote y más sabor con zumo o jugo de naranja o con vinagres derivados de plantas locales.

Por todo el país hay una variedad de presentaciones del chorizo rojo, aunque en ocasiones su color sea más cercano al tono naranja. En el centro del país, el término chorizo, informalmente tiende a intercambiarse con el término longaniza, aunque la longaniza sea considerada más frecuentemente como un embutido más largo, mientras que el chorizo es un embutido que en su apariencia comercial es más segmentado; la longaniza se consume casi exclusivamente en el centro del país, mientras que en los demás estados se consume el chorizo.
.....Chorizo in Mexico
The chorizo is an important element in Mexican cooking, but the longaniza sausage is more widely known in some parts of the country where, due to its ease of production, rather than replace chorizo, it has become included in many daily meals. Most are made with pork entrails, but there are also beef, chicken and turkey. Almost always the tortilla is present when the sausage is eaten, usually in tacos to which are added fried onions, cilantro, potatoes and lime juice.

Toluca is famous for developing and offering varieties of this sausage. One of the specialties in Toluca and unique in the cuisine of Mexico is the "green" sausage, named for the coloring given by certain local plants. To that kind of sausages are often add peanuts and other prehispanic condiments. According to recipe variants, they can be spicy or not. This is one of the most delicious and delicate.

In contrast, the "northern sausage" that is manufactured in the northern border states are generally more pungent and spicier than the south. For this type of chorizo, chile varieties are used such as the chilpitin, Cortez or chile del arbol, along with white or cider vinegar. Both in the states of Guerrero and in the Yucatan, the chorizo is given more color with achiote and more flavor with local orange juice or vinegar derived from local plants.

Across the country there are a variety of recipe types of red chorizo, but sometimes the color is closer to orange. In the center of the country, the term chorizo tends to be interchangeable with the term longaniza but the longaniza is most often considered as a longer sausage, while the chorizo is a sausage that is sold in more segmented form. The longaniza is used almost exclusively in the center of the country, while in other states chorizo is eaten.
The city of Toluca, west of Mexico City, has specialized in the manufacture of chorizo. However, most Mexican chorizo is still made by small family-owned businesses. Here is a recipe purported to be representative of Toluca style. Note the use of cinnamon and clove in the mixture, This spicing is typical of cuisine from the interior of Mexico. What stands out here, and in other recipes for Toluca`s style of chorizo, is the high amount of ancho chiles and vinegar in the recipe. In this particular recipe, unlike the others, there`s a large amount of fresh onion too. The mixture does not develop any stickiness, due to the high level of acid.

Despite its appeal, we`ll not discuss the green chorizo of Toluca here, other than to mention that the English version of Wikipedia says Toluca is the center of its production, and that it includes tomatillo and cilantro in place of the red colorants such as other chiles or paprika. If you are interested, Rick Bayliss lists a recipe which maybe we`ll try in a future posting. Bayliss` recipe features Serrano peppers and cilantro, as well as spinach powder.

Here`s a recipe that I find interesting. However, see my opinion below. http://www.clubplaneta.co...o_de_toluca.htm
Chorizo de Toluca
Original Recipe.......Ingredient......................1 Kg (Total) Recipe..1 Kg (Meat Basis) Recipe
1/2 Kg.....pulpa de puerco.....Lean ground pork.....510 gm.....750 gm
50 gr.......chile ancho............Ancho chile (dried....51.0 gm.....75.0 gm
175 gr......lardo. ................Pork fat.....................179 gm.....260 gm
15 gr.......chile pasilla. ..........Pasilla chile..............15.3 gm.....22.5 gm
1/2 .........cebolla chica. ........Small onion...............102 gm.....150 gm
1/2 taza (cup).....vinagre. ......Vinegar.....................121 ml.....179 ml
1 diente (clove).....ajo. ..........Garlic......................5.1 gm.....7.5 gm
1 pizca (pinch)......comino ....Ground cumin............0.5 gm.....0.8 gm
1 pizca (pinch)......olor...........Clove.........................0.5 gm.....0.8 gm
1 gr...................pimienta......pepper......................1.0 gm.....1.5 gm
1 gr.....canela. .......................Cinnamon.................1.0 gm.....1.5 gm
1 gr.....semillas de cilantro. ....Cilantro seed............1.0 gm.....1.5 gm
1 gr.....orégano. ....................Oregano...................1.0 gm.....1.5 gm
3 gr.....pimentón. ...................Paprika....................3.1 gm.....4.5 gm
.....tripas cerdo mediano........Medium hog casings..........
............sal............................salt..........................8.16 gm.....12.0 gm
Picar finamente el lardo y la carne. Tostar, desvenar y moler el chile con todos los ingredientes, vinagre y sal. Luego, mezclarlo bien con la carne y el lardo picados. Con esa mezcla rellenar las tripas bien lavadas, y amarrarlas aproximadamente a 10 cms. una de otra.
Finely grind the pork fat and meat. Roast the chiles, remove stems and seeds, grind, and mix with all the seasonings, vinegar and salt. Then mix well with meat and fat. With this mixture fill the washed casings, and tie into about 10 cm lengths.

This recipe is notable in that the amount of chiles, vinegar, and fresh onion are quite a bit higher than in most recipes. When fried, the onion and the vinegar cook down a bit, and the result is a slightly sweet chorizo similar in flavor to many mole dishes. This recipe, scaled to 1 kilogram total, contains 51 grams ancho plus 15 grams pasilla (total 6.6%) and 12.1% vinegar for the recipe above.

Is this typical? Well, I looked at several others. The recipe at http://nokrisscecco.wordp...-casero-receta/ has 8 chiles guajillos, 6 chiles anchos, and 2 cups of white vinegar for a one kilo recipe. At 7 grams (seeded) per ancho chile and 11 grams per pasilla, that`s 56 grams (5.6%) ancho and 88 grams (8.8%) guajillos, total 14.4% chiles. This later recipe contains half the vinegar.

The recipe at http://www.arecetas.com/r..._TOLUCA_/16211/ appears to be a copy of our one listed above.

The following recipe at http://foro.univision.com...0#axzz23KqoFBhA has 5 anchos, 2 pasillas, and 2/3 cup vinegar for about a 1.3-kilo batch. This is more in line with chorizos from farther north. Note the addition of "tequilero con vodka" in the recipe. This is vodka which was stored in a barrel formerly used to age tequila. From this ingredient and from the elaborate detail in gthe recipe, plus the source (UniVision, probably a cooking show), I suspect that this is not a traditional rendition, so I have not tried it. The tequilero con vodka isn`t available in my part of the world, but could be faked with vodka to which a little tequila was added. ...interesting recipe, though.

Chorizo de Toluca (UniVision)
Original Recipe...........Ingredient....1 Kg (Total) Recipe.....1 Kg (Meat Basis) Recipe
1 kg... pulpa de cerdo sin grasa, pellejos o tendons
..............ground Pork w/o fat/skin/tendons ...........................600 gm........................800 gm
250 gm.....grasa o unto de la papada del cerdo
.......................Pork fat (trimmings or jowls)............................150 gm.........................200 gm
5 (35 gm)... chiles anchos..................................................20.9 gm........27.9 gm
2 (22 gm)...chiles pasilla....................................................13.1 gm.......17.5 gm
1/2 cucharadita (tsp)....semillas de cilantro (ground seed)......0.6 gm ........0.8 gm
3 clavos "nails").......olor (clove)....................................................0.1 gm.........0.2 gm
1/2 cucharadita (tsp).......pimientas negras (black pepper)......0.7 gm.......1.0 gm
1/2 cucharadita (tsp).... Oregano...................................................0.6 gm...........0.8 gm
1/8 de cucharadita (tsp)... semillas de comino (ground cumin) 0.2............0.2 gm
4 dientes(cloves).....ajo, pelados(garlic, peeled).......................11.9 gm.............15.9 gm
2 cucharadas (Tbsp)....paprika........................................................10.2 gm..............13.5 gm
2 1/2 cucharadas (tsp).... Sal(salt)..................................................9.0 gm....................11.9 gm
2/3 taza (cup).....vinagre de manzana (apple cider vinegar) ...94 ml.............126 ml
1 vaso chico(small glass)....... tequilero con vodka (see text)...90 ml........120 ml
2 gr ....... sal de nitro (see text)
................................Cure #1....................................................................2.4 gm.....................3.2 gm
Tripas de intestino delgado de cerdo (hog casing)

Please refer to their website for instructions. Although elaborate, they "boil down to" a standard sausage recipe. Disregard the sal de nitro, saltpeter, and calculate the proper amount of cure #1 for your batch. For the above recipe, it works out to 4.0 grams of cure #1.
For this recipe, there are 20.9 gm ancho chiles and 13.1 grams of pasilla chiles, plus another 10 grams of paprika, or a total of 4.4% chiles, in a 1 kilo batch. This is less than the amount of chiles in the other Toluca recipes, even with the paprika added in. Vinegar is 0.9% of the recipe, a bit less than the others.

So, in summary, what`s typical of Toluca style? For what I sampled, it`s somewhere within:
.....1st recipe: 51 grams ancho and 15 grams pasilla (total 6.6%) chiles and 12.1% vinegar (possibly most typical).
.....2nd recipe: 56 grams ancho and 88 grams guajillo ( total 14.4%)chiles. Half the vinegar of the 1st recipe (reasonably typical).
.....3rd recipe: 20.9 gm ancho chiles and 13.1 grams of pasilla chiles, plus another 10 grams of paprika, or a total of 4.4% chiles. Vinegar is 9.4%. (Not typical)
Having judged them, I admit that this style isn`t my favorite, but that all are probably pretty good, and are evocative of some of the mole mixtures found in Mexico.

Mole
Nope, we`re not referring to a small, furry animal here. Most people in the USA have never had any of a wide variety of sauces known as mole. (Guacamole is entirely different, so don`t protest!) Therefore, they may not fully appreciate the comment above that led to this tangent. Please read on. Admittedly, mole is an acquired taste, so let`s start gently. Here`s a quick summary, followed by a couple of personal favorites. Look for the defining features: ground chiles and nuts.

Again, we borrow from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_%28sauce%29 for a whirlwind summary which describes mole as:
(...from Nahuatl mōlli, "sauce") is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces. Outside of Mexico, it often refers to a specific sauce which is known in Spanish by the more specific name mole poblano. In contemporary Mexico, the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar to one another, including black, red, yellow, colorado, green, almendrado, and pipián. The sauce is most popular in the central and southern regions of the country with those from Puebla and Oaxaca the best known, but 60% of the mole eaten in the country comes from San Pedro Atocpan near Mexico City...

...Moles come in various flavors and ingredients, with chili peppers as the common factor. However, the classic mole version is the variety called mole poblano, which is a dark red or brown sauce served over meat.
I intended to extract a bit more of the Wikipedia article, but wound up with about three pages. That`s way too much. Go have a look at this fascinating article yourself. If you`re not discouraged by the amount of labor involved, take a dive into Mexican cuisine by making a few mole dishes for yourself and your family. I recommend three books from among thousands:
.....Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz, "The Book of Latin American Cooking," 1969, Robert Hale Ltd.
.....Rick Bayless, "Rick Bayless`s Mexican Kitchen," 1996, Scribner
.....Rick Bayless, "Mexico, One Plate at a Time," 2000, Scribner

There`s an adventurous recipe, famously known in my family as "that mole stuff containing chocolate." It`s not for the casual diner, but if you are serious about trying it, read up on it. Good mole is a real treat. Mediocre mole is nasty.

I had intended to extract that particular mole recipe for this document, but decided against it after researching a bit farther. If you are serious enough to pursue this farther, I suggest you get a copy of "Mexico, One Plate at a Time," flip through it (and maybe drool on a few of the pages), then read in depth "Classic Red Mole with Turkey" beginning on page 206. Note the "Working Ahead" topic on page 209.

Pick an evening to have friends over for dinner. Then arrange for the family to be out of the house for the day, lay in all the supplies (plus your favorite beverage), and `go for it.` You`ll be glad you did. Yes, it has chocolate in it!

And when you discover that you have survived the arduous cooking process and it really wasn't THAT bad, go for my favorite, Pollo en Pipian, which begins on page 216. In fact, if you are the least bit jittery about undertaking a mole recipe, start with Pollo en Pipian, then return for `the good stuff.`

................................................Please Click On Section #2 (The next forum topic) to view Chapter 4. Here's a handy link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=5934
Last edited by el Ducko on Mon Nov 16, 2015 22:52, edited 13 times in total.
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