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Homemade Chorizo

November 10, 2011 by 25 Comments

Sausage is the pork product that fills in the holes in my heart.

And no, I do not want to hear about how true that probably is.

Sausage is just superior. What could be wrong with it? We’re talking about pork (win #1) that is ground (win #2) and combined with heavy spices and herbs (win #3) then fried in patties, rounds or broken up into tiny crisped bits (wins #4, 5, and 6).

I love nearly all sausage, but chorizo, oh chorizo holds a very special lobe in my heart.  It is even spicer, even porkier, even more full of personality than other sausages courtesy of a mega flavour packed paste made from dried chili peppers, onions and garlic soaked in vinegar then pumped up with cumin, oregano, cinnamon (?!? Cinnamon? What? Yes*!), salt and pepper.

*You may remember cinnamon in such savoury dishes as this, this, this and this. I’m not talking about Cinnabon Sausage. I’m talking about lending that subtle something, that indefinable taste that makes the difference between a pretty good dish and an outstanding one. Try me.

Yes, chorizo. I mean Mexican style chorizo. There’s nothing wrong (in fact there’s quite a bit right) about Spanish style chorizo, but they’re two different beasties all together. Spanish chorizo is -by and large- a dried, cured, smoked sausage and Mexican chorizo is most emphatically not. It is fresh, quick cooking and the stuff of queso fundido (A name that has always made me cringe. I mean honestly, for something that tastes so good it sounds awfully communicable.), huevos con chorizo, killer taco pizza and many other comfort food goodies. I’ve spent my time cooking bright red nondescript meat paste packaged in inedible plastic casings called chorizo by indiscriminate bargain grocers, but I knew there was something better. Far better.

And I was so right.

The answer, as it is so often, was to make it myself. And while I’ve mentioned before that I have about as much claim to authenticity in TexMex/Texican/Mexican cooking as any girl raised in the snowy climes of Northern Michigan (in other words, I have none), I know what I like to eat and I know what tastes go well together.  After reading the versions by the wonderful Homesick Texan and Girlichef and trying their recipes on for size, I took the advice proffered by both of them and swung out on my own to find my own perfect chorizo.

It’s tough work, eating batch after batch of sausage, but I’m willing to put in the time for the cause. I have to say that I’ve finally gone and done it. I have my favourite batch of chorizo: the batch I’ll attempt to replicate time and again.

So what do I do now that I’ve made the ultimate (to my mind) version of chorizo? I make mega batches of it. By mega batches, I mean I start with three pounds of ground pork (ground by yours truly, but that’s strictly optional), mix up a bunch, divide it out into one-meal-portions, freeze in flat packages*, and call it money in the bank. When you have pounds of chorizo in the freezer you have a jump start on fast and satisfying meals. How could you use it? Brown and break up a pound or so of chorizo and…

  • Add to some scrambled eggs for the classic huevos con chorizo. Serve on tortillas with cheese.
  • Stir into a couple cans or cups of black beans or refried beans and serve on tortillas or as a dip.
  • Mix with indecent quantities of cheese for queso fundido. Okay. Can we call it something else? Chorizo cheese dip anyone?
  • Pop on a pizza shell, dot with tomato sauce, top with a blend of grated Monterey Jack (or Pepper Jack) and Cheddar and bake. Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, chopped sweet onions and guac. Hello Taco Pizza.
  • Put on tortilla chips and top with grated cheese. Those are some serious nachos, Jefe**.
  • Treat it like bacon, but spicier. Brown it up, get some crisp on it, and use any leftover fat to make some unbelievable home fries.

*Squoosh it out flat in zipper top bags. It takes up less space in the freezer and thaws faster when you need it.

**All the Spanish I ever learned I got from Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer and The Three Amigos. I apologize. I am, however, fluent in Yooper.

So what about you? What is your favourite use of chorizo? If you haven’t had it, do you think you might give it a go?

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Homemade Chorizo

Homemade Chorizo

Fresh Mexican style chorizo is as easy as mixing a simple, flavourful paste of chilis, vinegar, onion, garlic, herbs and spices into already ground pork. It's simple to stock your freezer and simpler yet to make a wonderful meal from your stockpile! Add to burritos, tacos, scrambled eggs, taco pizzas, breakfast burritos, nachos and more.

Inspired by and with thanks to: Homesick Texan and GirliChef

Ingredients

  • 10 dried guajillo chili peppers (stem and seeds removed)
  • 7 dried arbol chili peppers (stem and seeds removed)
  • 4 dried New Mexico chili peppers (stem and seeds removed)
  • 2 onions, peeled and chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano (can't find Mexican oregano? No prob. Sub in Mediterranean Oregano)
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper (or 2 teaspoons pre-ground black pepper)
  • 3 pounds ground pork

Instructions

Use a damp paper towel to wipe down the dried chili peppers. Toast the stemmed and seeded chili peppers until pliable (about 1 minute on each side) in a hot pan. Transfer them to a large non-reactive bowl (stainless steel, glass, or plastic), layer the chopped onion and garlic on top. Heat the vinegar (either in the microwave or on a stove top) until very warm to the touch. Pour over the chili peppers, onions, and garlic and lay a plate on top to weigh them down. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let set at room temperature for an hour.

Transfer all of the peppers, onions, garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, salt, cinnamon and black pepper to a blender and process until you have a smooth, thick paste. If necessary, add another splash of vinegar to help things move along. Let cool completely.

When the chili paste is completely cool, mix thoroughly into the ground pork with the remaining ingredients using your hands until everything is a uniform colour.

Divide into one-meal portions and put each portion into an appropriately sized zipper top bag (For portions up to 3/4 of a pound, use a quart freezer bag. For portions up to 2 pounds in size, use a gallon freezer bag.) Squeeze as much air out as you can, seal the bag, and squash the bags as flat as you can. This will help them to freeze easily, take up less precious freezer space, and thaw more quickly when needed.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/11/10/homemade-chorizo/

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Comfort Food, Component Foods, Freezer Pleaser, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , ,

Carnitas Style Chicken Tostadas

November 7, 2011 by 8 Comments

Authenticity Alert: As in, this is not authentic but it is far, far too tasty not to share, and so, I am telling you now that I am completely not responsible for anyone taking offense to what I’ve done to Tex-Mex or Mexican cuisine. Honestly, I don’t even know enough to tell you which of those categories it strays from the most. All I know is you should make these tonight.

I know. Carnitas are pork. Crispy, delicious, succulent little fried bits of braised pork. This is not that. But it is the chicken equivalent and I’ll be darned if it isn’t crispy, delicious, succulent little fried bits of chicken on a crunchy fried tortilla with pan sauces and all the things that are great and good about Tex Mex food piled on top. Hallelujah, Amen and pass the tostadas.

First, though, I have to tell you a little story.

Last week there was a day that mucho much candy entered our home. I think you know which day I mean. When I say much candy, let me set the stage. Five grandsons, one Nana, and a good working knowledge of which houses in town give out the best goodies. There was so much candy that I feared for the peace in our home. Or at least for the textured ceiling. I mean honestly, sugared up kids bouncing off the ceiling leaves a mark. Each child had netted close to three pounds of candy in a little over an hour of wandering the beautiful streets of Geneseo. I had visions of weeks of blue tongues and green lips and twirly eyes. After forty-eight hours of utter chaos, I laid the smack down.

“Guys. You can each choose ten pieces of candy and put them in one of these bags,” (here I brandished pre-labeled zipper top bags), “Those are your pieces. You can stretch them out as long as you want. The rest of the loot goes into this bag,” (I waved a two-and-a-half gallon zipper top bag), “This is the family bag. I’ll use it in brownies and on cakes and all sorts of good stuff like that.” Then I braced myself for the blow-back.

“Cool! You’ll make brownies?” said one son while the others sorted through to pick their ten favourite pieces before handing over the rest. Don’t pity them. They each had at least two regulation sized, honest-to-goodness candy bars in their bags. Geneseo folks don’t mess around.

The rest of the candy went into the mega bag and then into the broom closet and I didn’t think of it for a few days.

Then came this weekend…

The weather was glorious. The sun was shining, the breeze blew and we had loads of yard work to do to prepare for the winter weather that’s right around the corner. My husband and I were like two ships passing in the pretty-nifty day. We were hanging laundry on lines, stacking wood, trimming weeds and whatnot when I asked, “Has anyone seen Daddy?”

Our youngest said, “Daddy’s out in the annex eating candy.” I said, “Hey. Don’t tell fibs. The candy isn’t out there. Is Daddy really in the annex*?”, then got distracted by yet another yard chore.

*Before you start thinking I’m all fancy with my annex let me explain that it is a large, uninsulated, exterior-walls-only room with window openings (sans glass) that is full of wood for keeping us warm over the winter and is attached to the house. Why such a hoity-toity name? Because I can. And technically? I’m right. Plllllbbbbbt.

Later that night when the kids were all tucked cozily into their beds, my husband brought the loot bag to the den have a little sweet snack. I reached in for a Heath bar (again, Geneseo gets mega points) and asked my husband how they got so cold. I wondered aloud whether there was a problem with the insulation in the broom closet. He responded, “I’m keeping them in the annex in a locked box. Hey! Where you going?”

I went straight upstairs to apologize to my son then came back down for the Heath bar.

The candy has been flying like glitter before a cheerleading tournament. People are fired up here, self included, so we needed something to counteract all that sugar and food dye. Enter mondo protein meals, stage left.

Protein gives your body something to do other than jitter. I can’t think of a simpler way to get a delicious protein-packed meal into you than these Carnitas-style Chicken Tostadas. The body soothing protein comes in the form of three-ingredient braised chicken that is then shredded and dropped into a wicked hot pan with a little oil so that it is crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside. This is, quite possibly, the easiest meal this side of heaven.

Toast or fry some corn tortillas and pile on refried beans (the protein fairy says hi!), the crispy chicken, some lettuce, cheese (Huzzah for more protein!), hot sauce or The Sauce, some candied jalapenos, and a fistful of chopped cilantro if you fancy it. Now comes the only difficult part of the whole process; balancing the whole shebang and getting it to your mouth. I do advise you to eat this over a plate. Then eat another. Maybe one more? Now call everything that fell onto your plate a taco salad. See? I love you.  And I’m not at  all sugared up*.

*Chocolate bars don’t have sugar, right?

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Carnitas Style Chicken Tostadas

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: a lot!

Serving Size: 2 Tostadas

This super fast and satisfying supper takes advantage of individually frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs. In a little over an hour and a half, you go from frozen blobs of chicken to braised, flavourful, crisped chicken on crunchy corn tortilla tostadas with a compliment of refried beans, cheese, sour cream, smoked paprika and chipotle sauce and candied jalapenos. I am willing to bet this becomes a regular in your rotation like it is for us on busy nights.

Ingredients

    For the Chicken:
  • 3 pounds of individually frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can start with fresh rather than frozen, just adjust cooking time accordingly.)
  • 1 teaspoon canola, vegetable or peanut oil, plus additional oil for crisping the meat later
  • 2 cups of chicken broth
  • 1 cup of your favourite salsa ( I use smoky roasted tomatillo and tomato salsa )
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
    • For the Tostadas:
  • 1-inch of vegetable or canola oil in a heavy pan
  • corn tortillas (2-3 per person)
  • salt, to taste
  • refried beans
  • shredded or baby lettuce
  • sour cream
  • Smoked Paprika and Chipotle Sauce
  • Candied Jalapenos

Instructions

In a large, heavy pan with a tight fitting lid (preferably a dutch oven) over high heat, pour the teaspoon of oil. Arrange the frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the pan in such a way that the lid can be put on it and sit firmly. Before adding the lid, toss in the garlic cloves and pour the salsa and chicken stock or brother over the top. Place the lid on the pan and let cook over high heat until steam starts escaping from under the lid. Drop the heat to medium low and let it continue cooking until a piece of chicken removed from the pan shreds easily between two forks, between 45 minutes and an hour*.

*If you start with fresh (not frozen) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, you can cut that time down a bit.

Remove all of the chicken to a bowl or platter, leaving the juices in the pan, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes, lightly covered with foil. Replace the pan over the burner and turn the heat to high, bringing the pan juices to a boil and letting it reduce by 3/4, or until thick like gravy. Set aside.

Use two forks to shred all of the chicken. Set aside.

In a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat, add 1-inch of canola, peanut or vegetable oil. Fry tortillas, 1 or 2 at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes, flipping once or twice to ensure it is crispy all over. Transfer the fried tortillas to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt.

Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of the oil from the skillet and return it to high heat. When the oil is very hot and shimmery, slide about half of the shredded chicken into the pan and press down on it with the back side of a sturdy spatula so that you bring more surface area of the chicken in contact with the hot oil and pan. Do not stir the chicken. When the edges appear to be dark brown or deep golden brown, pick up the crisped chicken with a spatula and flip it crisp side up onto a plate. Repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the remaining chicken.

To Assemble Tostadas:

Spread hot refried beans on a crisped tortilla, top with chicken, a drizzle of the reduced pan juices, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, Smoked Paprika and Chipotle Sauce and candied jalapenos.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/11/07/carnitas-style-chicken-tostadas/

 

 

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Appetizers & Snacks, Comfort Food, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: , , ,

Spiced Orange Chai Concentrate

November 3, 2011 by 8 Comments

This is the time of year when I want nothing more than to traipse through the woods. The leaves have hit the deck and between the satisfying rustling sound they make, the scent of pine needles and apples, and the brisk air, a walk yields something that just might be the best feeling in the world. I’m getting ready to hunker down along with the bears, groundhogs, hobbits, squirrels, and other woodland creatures.

With last week’s snowfall, I feel a little like Robert Frost ‘Stopping by Woods’ on a snowy evening even though it has all melted. It’s just something in the air.

Coming back from those walks, we turn to warm fires, family, good books, old movies, quiet music and great  roasts, mashed potatoes, pie, cookies and hot tea.

I know coffee is a perennial darling, but let’s talk tea for just a moment. Have you read the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder? I remember them taking the edge off of the long, hard winters with strong, hot tea more than once.  There is something about tea that makes you slow down and relax because there is just something about tea.

The gnarly dried leaves unfurl and stretch in the hot water the way you do in the bath after a hard day. It’s impossible to watch that and not feel at least a little tension melt away. I think it must have something to do with the intensive manpower that goes into every cup of tea. Hand-picked leaves dried lovingly, packaged carefully and shipped to those who stand by, kettles in hand, ready to bring the water to a boil and coax every bit of flavour out of those tiny but potent shriveled leaves.

The glow of citrus, subtle sweetness and round but gentle heat of spices makes this Spiced Orange Chai Concentrate do exactly what all chai –all tea, for that matter- should do; it fills your belly and warms you from the inside out. Handily, the recipe makes a large amount and is good for up to a month in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer.

Chai is one of my favourite teas, but I don’t often get it when out and about because a.)I’m in the middle of nowhere and there’s no one to sell me one; b.)They often cost far more than I’m willing to pay for a cuppa; and c.)They’re often far too sweet. “C” is important. Great glugs of syrup cover up the flavour of the tea. You might as well just have hot spiced sugar water as many chai lattes available on the market.

An obvious advantage to making your own is controlling the amount of sweetness you add. Adjust it. Play with it. Get it perfect for your preferences. I suggest starting with less sugar and tasting it in milk. If it’s not sweet enough, simply add more until it is, as Baby Bear said,  “Just right!”
While I prefer it served hot with banks of steam rising from it on chilly autumn and winter days, it is superb served over ice, ice cream, or yogurt just to keep things interesting. I’ve even been known to stir a tablespoon or two into an apple pie or galette. If a walk in the woods is the best feeling in the world, a Chai Apple Pie comes in pretty closely behind it.

Yes, this is caffeinated, but that’s no reason to deprive the kids out of the delicious warming powers of chai. Use a trick from the Little House books; cambric tea. When Laura Ingalls Wilder was young, tea was considered too stimulating for children (although coffee, interestingly, was often not.) Mothers would stir a hint of tea into hot milk to warm their chilled chilluns and make them feel like grown-ups. That seems like a pretty wonderful tradition to revive to me. Put a much-more-milk-than-tea mug of this into your young ones’ hands and let them sit to warm through and through with you after a fall hike. It’s a memory in the making.

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Spiced Orange Chai Concentrate {Foodie With Family}

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Spiced Orange Chai Concentrate {Foodie With Family}

With spice and the glow of citrus, this Spiced Orange Chai Concentrate stands at the ready whenever you need a seriously fast dose of warmth.

Ingredients

  • 4 ½ cups water
  • 1 stick cinnamon, broken into large pieces
  • 1 piece fresh ginger root, 2-4 inches long (according to taste), unpeeled and roughly chopped
  • 8 whole cardamom pods
  • 2 whole star anise pods
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 8 whole black peppercorns
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
  • 1-3 slices of a fresh orange (according to taste), peel and all
  • 10 teaspoons green or black tea leaves ~or~ 10 green or black tea bags ~or~ an equivalent amount of green and black tea combined
  • ½ cup brown or raw sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

To Make the Concentrate:

Bring the water to a boil in a pan with a tight fitting lid.

Add all of the spices and tea, remove from heat, cover tightly and let steep 15-20 minutes, depending on the desired strength of the tea.

Strain into a large container and add the brown or raw sugar, honey, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Transfer to a large canning jar with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

To Serve:

Mix 1 part of the concentrate to 1 part milk. You can mix it with steamed milk or with cold milk and then heat it together. Alternatively, you can serve it cold over ice. Brrrr

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/11/03/spiced-orange-chai-concentrate/

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Beverages, Happy Healthy and Wise, kid food, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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