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A cast-iron skillet with eight cheater's chorizo meatballs being cooked in it.
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5 / 5 votes

Cheater's Chorizo

Cheater's chorizo is a fresh homemade chorizo made with ground pork, spices such as paprika, garlic, and cayenne pepper as well as wine. As irresistible as it is easy.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 servings | 1 1/2 pounds
Calories: 30

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder or butt, coarsely ground
  • 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 to 11/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • A little canola or olive oil, for frying

Instructions

  • Place all of the ingredients except the oil in a bowl and squish the mixture between your fingers to evenly distribute everything.
  • Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Shape a teensy amount of the sausage mixture into a flattened ball and fry it until cooked through. Taste to check the seasoning, remembering that the flavors will continue to get more noticeable the longer the uncooked mixture stays in the fridge (If you’re a heat fiend, you'll probably want to add more cayenne and black pepper.)
  • That's it. Just cover the chorizo mixture and stash it in the fridge for at least 2 hours before using to allow the flavors time to develop. (The chorizo will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.)
  • When ready to use, follow a recipe that calls for fresh chorizo or shape it into small balls and fry over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through.

Notes

How This Homemade Cheater's Chorizo Differs From Portuguese Chouriço

We want to be clear about one thing. This is not Portuguese chouriço, a smoked sausage traditionally fashioned from pork butt, paprika, garlic, crushed dried red pepper, and a splash of homemade wine in a three-day celebration that takes place twice a year (although if we had our way, it would happen each week!).

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 207mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g