Almost three years ago this week we wrote here about what tinkerers fly fishers are (and chorizo)…
Many, if not most, fly fisher folk are inveterate tinkerers.
We tie flies. We wrap rods. We build boats. We tweak equipment…
We fiddle almost endlessly with lines and leaders, rods and reels, boots and waders, vests, sling packs and rod storage.
And as we’ve found, lots of fly fisher folk know their way around the kitchen and grill and spend a fair amount of time fiddling with food and recipes for the good stuff.
We’ve sorta been on a Tex Mex kick this spring, which has had us fiddling in the kitchen a fair amount of late. You see, you’re more likely to run into Sasquatch at the 7-11 here as find really good or even passable Mexican food, much less Tex Mex in particular.
Before he bolted back to Bozeman, Jake got us on a breakfast burrito run and we found ourselves wishing for some authentic Central Texas / Tex Mex chorizo. We posted a pretty damned good chorizo recipe at the link above three years ago, but Chef Lisa showed us this Tex Mex Chorizo sometime last year and it’s even better.
I find myself more and more a fan of the richly flavored guajillo chile and the array of spices used here adds a depth of flavor that will make you think you’re eating handcrafted chorizo in a dive taqueria in old San Antonio.
We cook this sausage loose for tacos most often, though it’s great in patties (skillet or grill) or stuffed into casings for the grill.
Your breakfast burritos will never be the same after this.
2 lb. ground pork
6-7 dried guajillo chiles, cleaned and stemmed
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced small
1/2 cup apple cider or red wine vinegar (try it with both)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. salt
Make a chile paste. Toast the chiles in a hot, dry skillet until puffed and fragrant (won’t take long); add enough water to cover chiles and set aside for 30-40 minutes.
When softened, place the chiles, onion, garlic and vinegar in your trusty blender and blend until smooth; you may need to add either additional vinegar or some of the chile soaking liquid if too thick (think tomato sauce)
Chorizo time. Place the ground pork in a mixing bowl, add the chile paste and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, best with your hands. The first time you make this chorizo, fry up a tbsp. in a skillet to check the spices and see if need to fiddle with it a bit.
Go to it. Cook this anyway you please – fry it up loose for breakfast tacos, shape into patties for the stovetop | grill or even stuff into casings. Freezes like a charm, though shape in to patties first.
Enjoy.
