Chorizo

NePaSmoKer · January 20, 2009, 07:07:10 AM

Makes 10 pounds.

You need the following.

7 lbs of lean meat
1 1/2 lbs prok butt
1 1/2 lbs pork fat (very important)
4 T salt
2 T paprika (hot is ok too)
3 T cayenne pepper
2 T black pepper (if you can try to use fresh cracked)
3 T garlic granules
1 T mexican oregano
1/4 cup dextrose
1/3 cup vinegar (red wine if you have it)
33-36mm hog casings (opt)

1. Grind meat thru med plate 1 time.
2. Mix meat with the rest of the ingredients, mix by hand or mixer.
3. Stuff into casings, make into patties or crumble into your fav dish.

This is fresh bulk chroizo. If your wanting to smoke it you must add cure to it. Cure for this is 2 teaspoons.

Use withing 3 days or freeze double wrapped for 6 months.

enjoy

nepas

Mr Walleye · January 20, 2009, 10:58:41 AM

This sounds great NePas!

Thanks for sharing all your wonderful recipes! ;)

I have problems getting Mexican oregano around here. I'm just curious if you know how difference there would be using regular oregano.

Thanks
Mike

La Quinta · January 20, 2009, 06:57:48 PM

I agree with Fishman...we can get Mexican oregano....but what is the difference? Is it a flavor thing? We have both Italian and Mexican, and frankly, use the one that is going "old" first....is that a mistake? ???

Habanero Smoker · January 21, 2009, 01:47:56 AM

For me Mexican oregano has a much more pungent taste. It also seems to have a hint of cilantro flavor.

Caneyscud · January 21, 2009, 05:45:58 AM

The two oreganos are both taxonomically and botanically different. Greek or Italian oregano used to be listed as origanum majorana (hence the debate and controversy between oregano and marjoram). Now Greek/Italian oregano is listed as origanum vulgare (vulgare meaning is "common") and the Mexican oregano is listed as lippia graveolens(Verbenaceae) and is more closely related to Lemon Verbena than to Greek/Italian oregano. A quick look at the plants shows the difference. There are others plants that are referred to as oregano in Mexico - and I have seen the plants for sale - but this is the one most commonly found in the US as being Mexican Oregano. I agree with Habs about the taste. It is more pungent - some use it as a substitute for epazote leaves. It has a more "earthy" flavor less "minty" than oregano when fresh - dried I dunno.

Shakespeare
The Bard of Hot Air
Threadkiller Extraordinaire'

Caribou · January 21, 2009, 06:33:56 AM

Thanks Nepas for posting another great recipe for us.
Where does one purchase dextrose?
Thanks,
Carolyn

carnie1 · January 21, 2009, 07:05:08 AM

Quote from: Caribou on January 21, 2009, 06:33:56 AM
Thanks Nepas for posting another great recipe for us.
Where does one purchase dextrose?
Thanks,
Carolyn

Most any supply house , Here are a few http://www.midwesternresearch.com/INDEX.htm
http://www.butcher-packer.com/
http://www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/index.php

Gizmo · January 21, 2009, 09:41:27 PM

Carolyn,
Is that a Rhode Island Red holding your daughter? :D

Caribou · January 22, 2009, 04:27:48 AM

Hi Gizmo!
That chicken is my daughter's Buff Orpington rooster "John" he is a big teddy bear of a bird.
My hubbie bought two chicks last spring to replace two we lost.
The chicks were supposed to be both girls but John was one of them.
Carolyn

Gizmo · January 22, 2009, 06:08:09 PM

Ah,
It reminded me of one (a Red) of the two I raised until they were too big to keep in town. Had to take them out to my aunt and uncle's farm.
The red was male and a smaller one was a hen. The red got a bit mean after the hen died.

Caribou · January 22, 2009, 08:45:00 PM

Gizmo,
We hatched some eggs last summer and had a couple roosters from that group of youngsters that were just plain mean.
They both tasted great. ;)
Carolyn

Gizmo · January 23, 2009, 08:02:01 PM

Mine was real tough. I chased it for an hour trying to catch it. We were out on the farm and I wanted to play with my pet chicken. It came at me feet first when it reach me, and latched it claws into my belly. My aunt had to catch it for me as I wasn't fast enough. :-[

Caribou · January 23, 2009, 08:19:50 PM

Oh no Gizmo! Sounds like you got belly spurred! :(
When it came down to me ridding myself of my two roosters and wasn't worried about doing the plucking and cleaning of them because we hunt birds often.
I was afraid of the slaughtering part. I put the two roosters in a doggy exercise pen and asked my hubbie to shoot them with a 22, but he wasn't up to it either.
So I went online to some county extension website that showed me how to slaughter humanely and how to process the birds afterwards and it was so easy I was amazed.
I'm so used to cleaning game birds that have shot in them, etc, that it was like a dream to clean birds that had been properly bled out and were not shot up.
They were 3 month old birds so they were tender and great to eat.
I think I am going to get some meat chickens this spring and raise them for the table. I love knowing where my food comes from. :)
Carolyn

Gizmo · January 23, 2009, 08:55:27 PM

My aunt used a hatchet and hot water bath. The hatchet did all that needed to be done. Don't know if things are different these days. Those were the simple days of old. Probably get thrown in jail these days for even thinking about cutting the heads off.

Buck36 · January 23, 2009, 09:50:13 PM

Quote from: Gizmo on January 23, 2009, 08:55:27 PM
My aunt used a hatchet and hot water bath. The hatchet did all that needed to be done.

My Dad did ours this way when I was a kid. I remember the first time I watched the whole process like it was yesterday. I didn't know they "ran" after hatchet did its' work. It was an eye opening day for a kid and one that will still make my Dad laugh today.

Chorizo

NePaSmoKer