CHORIZO SAUSAGES COOKED ON THE FIRE

What is chorizo? It’s sausage. And it’s delicious. Just about everyone loves chorizo (right?), but navigating the different types of chorizo, and figuring out how and when to use which types of chorizo, is a whole ‘another story.
Chorizo is a highly seasoned chopped or ground pork sausage used in Spanish and Mexican cuisine. Mexican chorizo is made with fresh (raw, uncooked) pork, while the Spanish version is usually smoked.
Mexican chorizo is typically seasoned with vinegar and chile peppers, while Spanish chorizo is made with garlic and pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika, either sweet or hot), which gives it its deep brick-red color and smoky flavor. (Authentic Spanish, deeply smoky and tangy chorizo is a revelation—but there’s also nothing like a spicy, beautifully greasy-in-the-best-way chorizo taco.)
Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo impart very different flavors—and behave differently—so they aren’t interchangeable in recipes, people. According to culinary expert Anya von Bremzen’s New Spanish Table, “While you shouldn’t substitute fresh chorizo for semi-cured, dry chorizo can be used in its place if this all you can locate.”
Chorizo has made a name for itself at the breakfast table with chorizo and eggs—chorizo, however, can be used in a variety of dishes. It can be served as an hors d’ouvres with Manchego and olives. You can crisp chorizo and toss it into salads, particularly spinach. Or, simply warm it and mix it with any pasta “sauced” with kale, dried chile flakes, and olives for a hearty dinner. You can also think of it as a seasoning: Render the paprika-and-garlic-rich fat and it can flavor anything from braised green beans to seared cod to dull cannellini.
Scholars believe that chorizo likely originated in Catalonia. In addition to Mexican and Spanish cooking, chorizo is also used regularly in Portuguese, Puerta Rican, Panamanian, South American, and Filipino cooking
In the United States, Spanish chorizo is available in two different forms: fully cooked and dry (to be sliced like salami/pepperoni), and fully cooked and soft (semi-cured). La Tienda sells both versions (in hot and mild varieties).

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