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Subscribe to forums RSS#1 Fri 21 Sep 12 11:59am
ryan85
- Member
- Member since Fri 21 Sep 12
Chorizo Problems
Hi everyone,
I absolutely love chorzio, however, I appear to be awful at cooking it, and my terrible dishes are starting to put me off it!
The problem comes when I fry it. I don't know how long to cook it for? Its brown and frazzled usually on the outside and inside is hard and difficult to chew.
I also tried making a stew, where I popped it straight into stew (without any prep) for 2-3 hrs, but it was still hard to chew and not particularly nice. I thought popping it into stew for a few hours would tenderise it?!
Does anyone have a dummies guide or a simple procedure for cooking chorizo so it tastes delicious and how it is supposed to? This problems has ruined many soups, stews and general dishes to the point that I'm scared to cook it!
Apologies for the essay.
Ry
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#2 Fri 21 Sep 12 1:17pm
koukouvagia
- From New York
- Member since Fri 12 Dec 08
Re: Chorizo Problems
I know exactly how you feel, I don't have any answers for you but I'll be stalking this thread to hear others' advice. I love the taste of chorizo and include it many times in rice dishes and stews and always it comes out very hard and chewy.
The last time I made it I used a delicious recipe - cut into small bits, fried in olive oil and garlic and then I added some honey and red wine vinegar. The flavor was amazing, the texture was horrible and difficult to eat.
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#3 Fri 21 Sep 12 4:53pm
mummza
Occupation avoiding housework
- From The land of song.
- Member since Tue 04 Oct 05
Re: Chorizo Problems
welcome to the forum Ryan85 
This may be a daft question ......Are you using the coking chorizo ?
There are 2 types, one type has been air dried , often foud on shop shelves
whilst the other is like a raw uncooked sausage and is always kept in the fridges in the shops.
I have a feeling that you might be using the dried chorizo in the stew as you said ...
ryan85 wrote:
I also tried making a stew, where I popped it straight into stew (without any prep) for 2-3 hrs, but it was still hard to chew and not particularly nice. I thought popping it into stew for a few hours would tenderise it?!
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#4 Fri 21 Sep 12 8:04pm
ryan85
- Member
- Member since Fri 21 Sep 12
Re: Chorizo Problems
Hi mummza,
Yeah I've been using the dry one which is 'ready to eat'. Is the raw one preferable for stews? Thanks for the reply btw.
Ry
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#5 Fri 21 Sep 12 9:11pm
Maree
- From Newcastle, Australia
- Member since Sat 10 Mar 07
Re: Chorizo Problems
Hi, and welcome to the forums.
I use the one kept at the deli counter. Slice it on the diagonal and cook (shouldn't need oil as it's quite fatty, but then I'm a self-confessed fatophobe 
). Cook over medium for ~ 8-10 minutes until brown but not dried out. Drain and mop up on paper towels (there's the fatophobe coming out in me again) if going to add to a stew, soup etc.
The air dried stuff I refuse to buy.
Good luck and happy cooking.
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#6 Sat 22 Sep 12 1:20pm
koukouvagia
- From New York
- Member since Fri 12 Dec 08
Re: Chorizo Problems
Fascinating, I always thought the air dried chorizo is from Spain and is superior to the South American uncooked version. Anyway, all recipes that I've seen call for the air dried chorizo.
Maree wrote:
Hi, and welcome to the forums.
...Slice it on the diagonal and cook (shouldn't need oil as it's quite fatty, but then I'm a self-confessed fatophobe
The air dried stuff I refuse to buy.
...
Ah but draining gets rid of the fat, that's where all the flavor is, especially for a stew!!
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#7 Sat 22 Sep 12 1:29pm
MsPablo
-
Occupation Just being me
- Member since Fri 28 Mar 08
Re: Chorizo Problems
There are levels of curing in Spanish chorizo. Some of it is only partially cured and therefore, it is softer than the fully cured type.
The 'fresh' uncured chorizo we find in the U.S. is Mexican-style chorizo.
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#8 Sat 22 Sep 12 2:03pm
Pakman
- Member
- From Estonia
- Member since Tue 06 Oct 09
Re: Chorizo Problems
Fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.....of course the choice of fat and eating foods rich in these nutrients together are at the user's discretion.
We only get the hard variety of Chorizo here so when I buy and cook with it I dump the chunks and keep the ooze.
I've made fresh chorizo and it was really good. The recipe was from the Gourmet Gringo paperback (which my better half has filed away...unfortunately she doesn't possess any form of organizational skill 
). It involved a bunch of spices and vinegar mixed with ground pork and left to sit at room temp for a day I believe.
Either stuffed in casing or just loose (I choose loose).
Anyway, google homemade chorizo and you'll be able to alleviate your problem.
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#9 Sat 22 Sep 12 5:38pm
Maree
- From Newcastle, Australia
- Member since Sat 10 Mar 07
Re: Chorizo Problems
koukouvagia wrote:
Ah but draining gets rid of the fat, that's where all the flavor is, especially for a stew!!
Perhaps, I didn't describe properly.
Take my smokey beans with chorizo: I cook the chorizo in a dry pan with onions. No need for oil in my opinion as the chorizo is fatty enough for me/us.
When the onions and chorizo are cooked and browned but not burnt/ dried out, remove them, place on paper towels and mop up the pan with more paper towel.
The onions have taken up enough of the flavour of the oil in the chorizo in the cooking process for me/us.
Then return to pan and add 400ml passata, cannellini beans (drained), some stock or water, smoked paprika, parsley. Cook for 8-10 mins. Serve with toast, steamed greens and a poached egg if desired.
The "deli" chorizo here is firmer than a raw sausage but not as hard as the non-deli (pre-packed stuff).
Hope that this is of some use.
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#10 Sun 23 Sep 12 4:24am
Dave Barker
-
Occupation Chef
- From At the stove...
- Member since Tue 29 Jun 04
Re: Chorizo Problems
This does sound simple and a bit obvious, but you are peeling the outside casing off before cooking it aren't you?
If not, it will be chewy as.... inedible
Dave B
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