Spicy Chorizo Sausage

• 800g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1/3 cup boiled pork skin
• ½ cup beef suet
• 1/3 cup dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and torn into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoon dried ancho chiles, stemmed and torn into small pieces
• 1 dried chipotle chile
• 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup pickled jalapenos chiles, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• Natural casings

Method

– Place the pork shoulder, pork skin and beef suet on a baking sheet, transfer to the freezer and chill until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid.

-In a spice grinder or food processor, combine the dried pasila, ancho and chipotle chiles, paprika, ground cumin and red pepper flakes and process until the chiles are finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the green onions, ice water, tomato paste, pickled jalapeno chiles, salt, cilantro, vinegar and garlic.

-Nest a large mixing bowl in a bowl filled with ice. Grind the boneless pork, pork skin and beef suet through the small die of the grinder into the bowl set in ice.

-Add the spice mixture to the meat and stir with your hands until well incorporated: the mixture will look homogenous and will begin sticking to the bowl.

-Spoon two tablespoons of the meat mixture into a nonstick frying pan and spread into a thin patty. Cook the test patty over low heat until cooked through but not browned. Taste the sausage for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

-Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat to prevent oxidation, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can vacuum-seal.

-Stuff the sausage into the casings and twist into links.

-Cook the sausages right away or freeze them for longer storage. These Chorizo can be grilled to an internal temperature of 63°C