How to make Spanish Chorizo

Full recipe & instructions: thethingswellm...
Enjoy Spain's signature sausage no matter where you live when you learn how to make Spanish chorizo at home. You can cook it fresh, as the Spanish would at a BBQ, or dry cure it and eat it sliced with other sliced meats and cheeses.

[@abberosales9120]

I love this. no nonsense talk just pure food prep

[@karinecarde1254]

Just beautiful!!! I grew up eating this as a real treat, whenever my mom could afford buying chorizo in the Bordeaux area of my country France! Thank you for posting this 🥰

[@Thethingswellmake]

Thank you! I'm so happy to have helped! 😊

[@supernoobsmith5718]

This is just like Italian dry sausage except for the spices. I tasted dried chorizo for the first time and it had a great smokey flavor.

[@Quinto547]

we had so many types of chorizo in spain, thats is a simply one and a classic, smokey flavour is a bit rare to see in chorizos, its more common in chorizos from the north of spain like galicia or asturias. comparing italian sausagee with this chorizo is like comparing prosscciuto with jamon serrano...

[@supernoobsmith5718]

@@Quinto547 The comparison for me is that it's a dry sausage, the only kind I ever had until I tasted a dried Mexican chorizo, and a Spanish dry sausage.

[@radaposh2803]

great

[@mallymakings2853]

I don’t want to sound like a complete idiot but where do you hang this and how long for? I’m LOVING your channel. Just found you tonight and so I’m binge watching whilst sitting under the stars, nice and cosy, under a blanket. Thanks for entertaining, inspiring and teaching. Your videos are beautiful put together and I love that they’re straight to the point. Bravo! Xxx

[@Thethingswellmake]

Hi Laura, That's not a dumb question at all- and can be one of the trickiest parts because you want to find an area that is free from insects, but that maintains a decent humidity. Some people set up something in an old refrigerator. I tried that, but ended up with too much humidity and mold, so I moved mine to hang in the shower stall of a bathroom we don't use. I talk a little more about it in the post: thethingswellmake.com/make-spanish-chorizo-dried-cured-fresh-varieties/

[@gosthist]

Laura Filby i hang it in my dining, whole house smell like salami

[@missmaam792]

I love your green mortar . . .

[@Thethingswellmake]

Thanks! It's kind of a typical style here in Spain. :)

[@hakunamatata2435]

Muchas gracias for sharing

[@TP-fl9ul]

Beautiful

[@benyaminewanganyahu]

Great video. Short and to the point with great music. I tried to make chorizo but had to fill the casing with a 'cake icing bag' ...it did not go well but I got it done. Never again.

[@Thethingswellmake]

Yes, the filling of the casing is the hardest part. The recipe itself is very easy. It took me several attempts before finding that the cookie press was the best method for filling the casings pretty easily. If you have an actual sausage press, then it would be very simple to make chorizo often. Nowadays there are inexpensive ones online.

[@ramargate]

How you put that casing in that tube and holding that chorizo is intriguing. 😂

[@Lo-sy9fz]

So I followed this recipe, and my chorizo lost its weight in just a week...is that normal? Do I now just wait for it to continue to cure and harden?

[@ggtaruc2578]

Do you have the recipe from start to table?

[@Thethingswellmake]

Of course! I always place the link to the recipe in the description. In this case, you can find it here: thethingswellmake.com/make-spanish-chorizo-dried-cured-fresh-varieties/

[@ManuelGomez-us7de]

😚😚😚 thank you

[@kingaorsolyanagy7731]

It good to rub them with olive oil on the outside.

[@videohay8043]

Please don’t eat the meat right away ( the curing salt). Wait at least 12 hours before eating Great recipe! Thanks

[@dandutza84]

what are the proportions? like for 1kg of meat (incl. the fat) how much pimenton / garlic etc one should use? thanks

[@Thethingswellmake]

You can find the full recipe in the description. In this case, it's here: thethingswellmake.com/make-spanish-chorizo-dried-cured-fresh-varieties/

[@santolify]

I quit eating pork due to health reasons but still yearn for the flavor and texture, can I substitute it with chicken thigh?

[@Thethingswellmake]

I'm not sure about the safety of curing chicken in this way- nor am I sure about what the final result would be. I'd be very hesitant to try it. Perhaps research if it's even possible/safe to salt cure chicken.

[@TechwithSTONE4]

santolify some people use a lean cut of pork or trim all fat, will come out more dry, but still very good.

[@banditdane2710]

santolify Cut of pork & seasonings

[@Quinto547]

you can make it with turkey

[@jaycarasco3768]

would you think this recipe and dry curing will work with venison??

[@Thethingswellmake]

I have no idea about working with venison. I know it's risky to work with meats like chicken, but have no idea about the safety of venison in cured meats. That would be my main concern. If it's normally safely used in cured meats, I'd think you could definitely use the spice blend for chorizo. I'd love to hear about it! 😉

[@jaycarasco3768]

​@@Thethingswellmake thank you for your insight

[@Thethingswellmake]

@@jaycarasco3768 I meant to come back to this and forgot. Soon after your comment, I was talking to some friends about your question and they said, "of course!" They proceeded to bring me some salchichón made from venison and another made from wild boar. I preferred the venison one, but both were good. 😉 So, yes, it goes to show that it can be done!

[@Swita360]

Can i chop the meat instead of grinding it?

[@Thethingswellmake]

I think it's better to grind it to ensure that the pieces are small enough to be fully cured. I guess some meats are cured in larger portions, so it may be OK, but it's not something I've ever tried in a sausage casing so I don't know how well it would work.

[@Swita360]

@@Thethingswellmake thanks for the answer. I've made Italian sausage with a pieces of meat instead of grind that's why im asking.

[@Thethingswellmake]

@@Swita360 It might be OK- especially if you are able to chop it finely enough. It actually might even be better in the case of the fat part. If you grind too finely you get mush, too, so maybe a fine chop could work great.

[@Swita360]

@@Thethingswellmake I’ll give it a try and let u know 😄

[@Thethingswellmake]

@@Swita360 That would be awesome! 😊 Good luck!!

[@paulphoenix8673]

can it be eaten after it cured without being cooked? Is it safe?

[@Thethingswellmake]

If it's cured properly, yes. We ate ours uncooked. I'm still alive and happy. 😃

[@paulphoenix8673]

@@Thethingswellmake Thanks! I assume dry cured can be eaten that does not require cooking.

[@Thethingswellmake]

@@paulphoenix8673 Yes, that's correct. I think most dry curing is done to make products that won't need cooking. I love cured ham, for example. The salt(s) and other spices help preserve the meat. After they have dried to a certain level, they are safe to eat.

[@Thethingswellmake]

Incidentally, this same recipe can be made without the dry curing. Of course, then you have to keep the chorizo in the fridge (for up to a week) and have to cook it before eating. It's delicious on a BBQ grill, though. ;)

[@paulphoenix8673]

@@Thethingswellmake Thank you for the info.. Appreciated it well.

[@johnanthonygray5425]

Recipe please

[@stevetilk4926]

How can I obtain your recipe? Are you using pink salt/curing salt and a bacteria product?

[@CosasCaserascom]

Hi- you can find the recipe in the link in the description (or here)... thethingswellmake.com/make-spanish-chorizo-dried-cured-fresh-varieties/ Yes, I did use a type of curing salt on my first go, but most people don't use it for chorizo. I go into that in my post. ;)

[@jeffreycherian3050]

@@CosasCaserascom did you use bacteria

[@masa-qi8cx]

Ah can I put 4 kinds of meat into the mix? Beef, chicken, pork and snake?

[@TheMingharre]

nice video, thank you :-) what is the name of the song? greetings from Germany :-)

[@Thethingswellmake]

It's called Endless by Kaa Sound. Licenses to use it can be bought on Jamendo, but I think you can also download for listening at home there. licensing.jamendo.com/en/track/1418594/endless

[@Thethingswellmake]

Oh, and greetings from Spain🇪🇸

[@adamhunter7900]

there is the recepie?

[@Thethingswellmake]

I always link to the recipes and full instructions in the description. In this case, you can find it here: thethingswellmake.com/make-spanish-chorizo-dried-cured-fresh-varieties/

[@TeeDhirav32]

Wait what is the difference between salchichon salami chorizo and pepperoni and also sopressata.

[@Thethingswellmake]

They have different spices and other additives. Chorizo uses garlic and paprika. I think pepperoni uses other meats along with the pork. Salami and salchichón have different spices, etc.

[@TeeDhirav32]

Oh, The Things We'll Make! Yeah salchichonnand salami has a noticlble taste imma try chorizo i may have before but maybe it was long ago

[@cmsense8193]

Oz_Tee X23 I find that omitting the smoky paprika for regular paprika leaves you with a traditional homemade Italian/american sopressata in your hands. To me it’s the smoked paprika that makes it Spanish like chorizo.

[@Thethingswellmake]

@@cmsense8193 I definitely agree! I have used regular paprika before and it no longer tastes like Spanish chorizo! The "pimentón de la Vera" definitely makes a huge difference.

[@TeeDhirav32]

Hiren wow that so informative thanks seriously how do you know all these stuff

[@Lflordecoco]

El pimiento de Vera es picante?

[@tidje2]

Es un pimentón ahumado que viene o dulce o picante. Yo uso una combinación de los dos cuando hago chorizo.

[@vicentejrardines6650]

reciepe pls

[@mookiemookmj5746]

how long do leave it to dry? and where should i hang it? thanks a lot

[@Thethingswellmake]

You want to find a place that isn't too humid nor too dry and on the cooler side. (I've been hanging mine in the shower of a bathroom that we don't use.) Also, you want to find a place without insects, etc., which is why I make it indoors. A lot of people use areas of their basements. The length of time will depend on the size of the chorizo, humidity, etc. It should dry, though, until it hardens up and loses at least 30% of its weight. (Weigh before curing and occasionally weigh again to gauge the process. )

[@mr.potato371]

Can beef be used ?

[@Thethingswellmake]

You could try with beef. I've never seen Spanish chorizo made with beef and not pork, but Mexican chorizo sometimes uses beef. It would be different, of course, but may be good. I don't know for sure, though, as I've never tried it. 😉

[@masa-qi8cx]

@@Thethingswellmake can I put 4 kinds of meat? Beef, chicken, pork and snake?

[@Thethingswellmake]

@@masa-qi8cx I don't think it's safe to use chicken, and I have no idea about snake. 😏 I've personally never tried with anything other than pork.

[@TheindefatigableGovernor]

What music/artist is this? Thanks.

[@Thethingswellmake]

Hi, It's called Endless by Kaa Sound. I bought the license for the song on Jamendo. www.jamendo.com/artist/491803/kaa-sound

[@TheindefatigableGovernor]

Oh, The Things We'll Make! Thank you.

[@edwarddesoignie1194]

No details provided.

[@Thethingswellmake]

I always link to the full recipe and instructions in the description. In this case, you can find it here: thethingswellmake.com/make-spanish-chorizo-dried-cured-fresh-varieties/

[@daz6637]

I think you need to look a the paprika portion in you ingredients. It said 7g per 1kg of meat and fat, yet look at your video and that is no way in that ratio. 7g is just over a tea spoon and the mix I’ve just done does not look very red.

[@Thethingswellmake]

It should be around 3 heaping tablespoons of paprika if I remember correctly. I'll have to take a look at my notes and see if I can correct any issues. Thank you for the heads up. I may have copied something wrong somewhere. Perhaps it is 70g and I forgot the zero.

[@Thethingswellmake]

OK- I found it-- 7g is how much one tablespoon weighs, but this uses 3 tablespoons and you can use heaping tablespoons. (They generally recommend somewhere between 20-28g per kg) I used one tablespoon of spicy paprika and 2 of sweet paprika- so 7g of spicy and 14g of sweet. I have updated the recipe- adding the sweet paprika which I missed when I wrote out the recipe. I apologize for the mistake, and thank you for alerting me to the problem!

[@Thethingswellmake]

When updating the posts, I noticed that the one in Spanish was written in Tablespoons and correctly had 3 tablespoons listed, but the automatic converter had converted the 3 tablespoons to 7g- which is obviously wrong. I was able to manually fix it. (I can override the automatic conversions and put in my own.) I think the problem must have come from there, though. I probably looked at the conversion given and used that. (In the Spanish version of the post I only listed one paprika- but wrote 3 tablespoons.)

[@daz6637]

@@Thethingswellmake As a general rule 5g = 1 tea spoon and 15g = a table spoon. It good to know what your ratio was for the future. The taste of the sausage was fine, it was just the colour really. That for getting back to me.👍🏻

[@daz6637]

@@Thethingswellmake if you’re putting 3 heaped table spoons in, I think you’d not be far off 70g.

[@Beingkindfeelsgood]

How did you show up on my vegan recipe search?!!! "For countless years the bitter stew of hate goes boiling on. Its vengeful broth is ocean deep, impossible to calm. To learn the cause of all this conflict, terror, & war, Listen to the cries at midnight by the butcher's door." Stop killing! Chan Master Cloud of Vows (Song Dynasty)