Chorizo Toluqueno

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Servings: 1 Difficulty: Advanced
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Traditional Mexican dry-cured sausage with deep smoky heat and aromatic spices
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This authentic Chorizo Toluqueno is a staple of Mexican cuisine, offering a distinctively dry, firm texture and complex flavor profile. Unlike its Spanish cousin, this version relies on rehydrated ancho and pasilla chiles for a smoky depth, balanced by warm notes of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The lean pork shoulder and fat are ground coarse and mixed with garlic, vinegar, and paprika before being stuffed into hog casings. The mixture is then air-dried in the refrigerator for about 36 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the sausage to cure slightly. It makes for an incredible addition to tacos, eggs, or rice dishes, providing a savory, spicy kick that transforms simple meals into something special.

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Chorizo Toluqueno

Author: chefs-mate Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 1 Calories: 137.3

Description

This authentic Chorizo Toluqueno is a staple of Mexican cuisine, offering a distinctively dry, firm texture and complex flavor profile. Unlike its Spanish cousin, this version relies on rehydrated ancho and pasilla chiles for a smoky depth, balanced by warm notes of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The lean pork shoulder and fat are ground coarse and mixed with garlic, vinegar, and paprika before being stuffed into hog casings. The mixture is then air-dried in the refrigerator for about 36 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the sausage to cure slightly. It makes for an incredible addition to tacos, eggs, or rice dishes, providing a savory, spicy kick that transforms simple meals into something special.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Cut 1/2 pound of pork fat into 1/2-inch cubes and place them in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
  2. Prepare 2 dried ancho chiles and 2 dried pasilla chiles by removing stems, seeds, and veins.
  3. Tear the prepared chiles into large flat pieces.
  4. Toast the chile pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing them down with a spatula until they blister and change color, flipping once.
  5. Cool the toasted chiles completely, then transfer them to a coffee grinder or spice blender reserved for spices.
  6. Add 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 clove, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns to the grinder.
  7. Pulverize the spices and chiles until fine, then sift through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove any large chunks.
  8. To the sifted spice mix, add 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 tablespoons best-quality paprika, and 2 tablespoons salt.
  9. Stir in 4 cloves of minced garlic and 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar into the spice mixture.
  10. Set up a meat grinder fitted with a coarse grinding plate and a sausage stuffing attachment, or prepare a sausage-stuffing funnel.
  11. Combine the chilled pork fat cubes with 1 pound of lean boneless pork shoulder.
  12. Grind the pork fat and shoulder together directly into the bowl containing the spice mixture.
  13. Using clean hands, thoroughly mix the meat and seasonings together until evenly distributed.
  14. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the mixture overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
  15. If using salt-packed hog casings, rinse them under cold running water for one hour before use.
  16. Check the casings for leaks by running tap water through them; discard any pieces shorter than 30 inches or those with leaks.
  17. Thread one end of a casing over the stuffing tube or funnel, pushing it on completely but leaving a 3-inch overhang for tying.
  18. Begin feeding the sausage meat through the grinder, clamping off the end initially to expand the casing to a 1-inch diameter.
  19. If air bubbles form, stop the machine and work the bubbles out toward the funnel end to prevent weak spots.
  20. Feed the sausage through in a continuous flow, slowly moving the casing away from the tube to form a continuous 1-inch diameter link.
  21. When the sausage reaches about 6 inches in length, pull off an extra 1 inch of casing and twist it several times to form a link, then continue stuffing the next link.
  22. Repeat the twisting process until all the meat is cased, threading on new casings as needed.
  23. Twist the links firmly to separate them, or tie pieces of kitchen twine between links if preferred.
  24. Place the stuffed sausages on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch drips, and refrigerate uncovered for about 36 hours.
  25. Allow the sausages to air-dry until they are dry to the touch and somewhat firm.
  26. Once dried, wrap the chorizo tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 1

Amount Per Serving
Calories 137.3kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7.9g13%
Saturated Fat 2.8g14%
Cholesterol 45.4mg16%
Sodium 35.2mg2%
Total Carbohydrate 0.0g0%
Dietary Fiber 0.0g0%
Sugars 0.0g
Protein 15.3g31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: chorizo, mexican, sausage, toluqueno, pork, cured, spicy, smoky, homemade, charcuterie, ancho, pasilla, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, vinegar, casings, grinding, stuffing
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