Chorizo Sausage

I loved my father-in-law's chorizo and eggs on Saturday morning. One day I looked for chorizo in the store to make it myself. BLECH! Have you ever READ that ingredient list?! I haven't had chorizo for years now, but recently stumbled across this recipe from The Homesick Texan. Chorizo will be on my breakfast plate again soon! I like many, many recipe from The Texan's site. Make sure to go visit!

Homemade Chorizo

1 pound of ground pork
3 dried guajillos
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons salt

Rinse the dried guajillos, and then remove the stem and seeds. Heat the chiles for a couple of minutes on each side in a cast-iron skillet on high heat. Let soak for half an hour in water.

After chiles are moist, drain the water and place the chiles and vinegar in a blender, also adding the diced onion and chopped garlic. Puree until a smooth, bright red paste is formed (can add a splash of water or vinegar if it's too dry to blend). It will look like ketchup.

Add the chile puree to the ground pork, along with the rest of the spices. Mix well. To test the flavors, pinch off a small piece and fry it up in a skillet for a minute or so. Taste it and add more spices if needed.

You can let it sit for a few hours so the flavors will meld, but I find it’s delicious just after making as well. Will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, and it freezes nicely.