Spanish Recipes: Chorizo
Chorizo is one spicy sausage and a symbol of Spanish cooking. It’s no secret that Spanish people love cured meat, and people worldwide enjoy the country’s delicate hams, loins and sausages for their color, flavor and vibrant Spanish personality. So, how to cook with chorizo?
Let’s talk about the most famous Spanish sausage and how to cook it. Talking about delicious Spanish products, explore our selection of extra virgin olive oil, Spanish Iberico ham and chorizo. Let us share our passion for Spanish food with you!
What Is Chorizo?
Chorizo is a Spanish sausage, although its name might have been inspired by the Portuguese term for sausage, souriço. Although cured meats and sausages have been part of Spain’s culinary traditions since the Roman era, the chorizo was born from Spain’s interaction with America.
Pimentón is a critical ingredient in chorizo, giving it its smoky personality, red color and spicy flavor. Well, pimentón is nothing more than smoked, dried and powdered bell peppers, a native fruit from Mexico.
And although pimentón is essential in chorizo, the principal ingredient is minced pork meat. Other typical elements in chorizo include garlic, clove and other spices. The sausage is then cured and smoked, requiring cooking before consumption.
How to Cook With Chorizo?
So, what to do with chorizo? You can always grill and slice chorizo and serve it over bread as a hearty tapa. You can also chop it and mix it with scrambled eggs or add it to soups and stews.
Most Spanish stews contain chorizo as the main ingredient, which pairs well with lentils and beans. And if stir-fried with potatoes or any other veggie, you get a lovely side dish to be enjoyed with pasta or rice.
No oil is needed when cooking chorizo, as it is fatty enough already. In fact, you can use chorizo’s rendered fat to sauté the rest of the ingredients, blessing them with the sausage’s smoky flavor.
What is the Best Chorizo?
The best chorizo comes from Spain, and it’s made with the best pigs. Iberico pigs that are known for their high-fat content and flavorful meat.
Iberico chorizo is an authentic delicacy, and it’s a lovely addition to a cheese and cured meat platter — It literally melts in your mouth! And although chorizo is hearty and filling, you always want another slice.
When buying chorizo, source it from a reputable supplier specializing in Spanish gourmet foods and cured meats. These suppliers, such as Barceloneta market, sell Spanish Iberian ham and chorizo alike, and it’s because they’re two expressions of Spain’s famous cured meats.
Add Chorizo to Your Diet Today!
Chorizo is a fun way of adding flavor to your meals with an all-natural, artisan product with centuries of history. Chorizo adds color, aroma and flavor to food, and a little goes a long way. Of course, if you want to enjoy chorizo by the slice as a gourmet appetizer or tapa, go right ahead — chorizo needs nothing else to shine.
