Discover chorizo’s world of possibilities

This Mexican sausage is a secret ingredient that turns a ‘ho-hum’ dish into ‘wow!’

by Janet Blaser

Chorizo is essentially an unassuming pork sausage. But all you need is one bite to taste its spicy Hispanic roots and realize the world of possibilities for using it in the kitchen.

Chorizo’s bold, zesty chile flavor is complemented by the warmth of cinnamon and cloves and balanced by herbs and spices like oregano, paprika and garlic. And pork — ahhh, pork! — imparts its unparalleled richness and depth of flavor.

First things first: there’s Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo, and they’re completely different things: Mexican chorizo is raw, made with fresh pork, herbs and spices. It must be cooked before eating. On the other hand, Spanish chorizo is smoked and can be eaten as-is, sliced like salami and often sold chilled. This is an important distinction, so be sure you know what you’re buying.

(The spicing is different too.) We’ll be talking about Mexican chorizo here.

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