What is 'Cooking Chorizo'?
I have a recipe that calls for "Cooking Chorizo" (in the UK). What is this? Would normal cured chorizo be an acceptable substitute?
Best Answer
Spanish Chorizo comes in two forms both of which to the best of my knowledge are fully cured (cooked): one which is more for eating on its own (like salami) and the other which tends to have a higher ratio of fat in it and is used primarily for cooking. The latter one being what the recipe is referring to as "cooking chorizo". Oftentimes the cooking chorizo is in a paper casing that must be removed (unless you need some extra fiber in your diet). Either one of these would work, however you might need to add a little oil to the pan if you need to cook other things in the fat that would normally be rendered out.
Mexican chorizo is always a raw product which must be cooked and is usually in a plastic casing.
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What is chorizo cooking?
These sausages are only semi-cured, so they're more like the British sausages you see at the butchers (albeit a little firmer). This means they need to be cooked before eating, but the texture is much softer and the flavour less intense. Cook them as you would any sausage \u2013 on the barbecue, in a pan or in the oven.What is the difference between chorizo and cooking chorizo?
Mexican chorizo is made with fresh pork, while Spanish chorizo uses smoked pork. Chorizo can be bought as a whole sausage of either soft cooking chorizo \u2013 which must be cooked before eating \u2013 or a firmer, drier cured sausage that can be sliced and eaten without cooking.How do you cook chorizo?
Heat a pan: Place a pan over medium heat. Cooking chorizo slowly over low heat will allow its flavors to fully develop, but medium heat works almost as well if you're in a time crunch. Avoid using high heat, because it will burn the chorizo links without fully cooking them through.What is chorizo made of?
Most Spanish chorizos feature three common ingredients: pork, smoked paprika and garlic. The pork is coarsely chopped and mixed with bits of pork fat and seasonings, which vary based on the region. The mixture is then stuffed into natural casings, and the chorizos are left to cure and dry.More answers regarding what is 'Cooking Chorizo'?
Answer 2
"Cooking chorizo" probably refers to chorizo for cooking rather than eating raw. Cooking chorizos are usually smallish (8-16 cm), sometimes curved like a banana and tied together by a string in chains, whereas eating chorizos are usually straight, larger (30-50 cm), and you eat them raw in thin slices, like salami. In some places in Spain, they use the word "chorizón" to refer to eating chorizo and differentiate it from cooking chorizo.
Answer 3
Spanish 'Cooking' Chorizo is semi-cured, hence, you have to finish the cooking process yourself. The semi cure only takes a week, where as fully cured takes about 8 weeks. Fully cured you can eat without cooking. If the packaging doesn't state if it's for cooking and you are not sure, check to see if it's semi cured, or not. Cooking chorizo is also spicy - it's not sweet cured!
Answer 4
Portuguese chourico comes only one way that I know of.That is raw and needs either frying or cooked in soup. It is high in fat content. I would assume to add flavor also to hold it together. I always buy mine (since I live in Minnesota) from Portuguese food Inc.
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