My mother is hispanic by ancestry and looks, and even though she doesn’t speak a drop of Spanish she still cooks what she was taught by her mother, grandmother and relatives, growing up in Tucson, Arizona. Thus we alone on our block had chorizo, or Mexican sausage scrambled up with eggs. I didn’t even know that chorizo was the name of the sausage and not the dish until I was in my twenties. What is chorizo? A spicy pork sausage. While the Spanish version is usually spiced with paprika and garlic, Mexican chorizo is spiced with chile peppers. I’ve seen chorizo served in Mexican restaurants most often as a side sausage, like bacon. We cook ours up with the eggs and add some raisins as well, the sweetness of which provides some balance to the spicy chile in the chorizo.
If You Can’t Find Mexican Chorizo
Chorizo may not be available where you are. We have a simple recipe for chorizo that can be made in the home. Grind one pound of pork, not too fine. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon red chile powder; mash 1 large clove of garlic very thoroughly with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, add to the meat and mix well. Stir until the sausage is cooked through, though not necessarily browned. If you are not using lean chorizo, drain the excess fat from the pan before proceeding. If you are not using lean chorizo, you may want to cook the chorizo first, draining the excess fat, then remove to a plate while you cook the onions in the remaining fat. We usually cook with lean chorizo, so excess fat isn’t an issue. Stir constantly until the eggs begin to set, but are still moist. Remove from heat. Serve immediately with a side of warmed corn tortillas and cilantro as a garnish.
