Chorizo Zamorano

pork

🥗Healthier: turkey

💰Cheaper: chicken

Turkey is leaner, while chicken is often more affordable.

smoked paprika

🥗Healthier: sweet paprika

💰Cheaper: regular paprika

Sweet paprika is lower in calories, while regular paprika is cheaper.

Cut pork back fat into small cubes and set aside.

Cut pork shoulder into medium-sized chunks.

Chill the meat before grinding.

Grind the chilled meat on a six millimeter plate.

Prepare sheep casings by rinsing and soaking them.

Mix starter culture with distilled water and let it rehydrate for 30 minutes.

Add kosher salt, dextrose, pimenton de la vera, garlic powder, black pepper, and oregano to the ground meat.

Slowly drizzle in the starter culture while mixing the meat in a KitchenAid stand mixer until it becomes sticky and tacky.

Stuff the mixture into sheep casings, ensuring no air pockets remain.

Prick the stuffed salami to remove any visible air pockets.

Weigh the salami to record its weight and target weight for drying.

Cover the salami with cling film and ferment at 75 to 85°F for 24 hours, aiming for a pH drop to 4.9 to 5.2.

After fermentation, test the pH of the sample to ensure it's within range.

Place the chorizo in a drying chamber, monitoring temperature and humidity.

Dry the chorizo for two to three weeks until the target weight loss is achieved.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary