Chorizo may be one of Spain's most recognisable sausages, but not every chorizo is the firm, dry-cured sausage many of us immediately picture.
Chorizo Fresco is the fresh version—a juicy pork sausage that's seasoned, stuffed and then cooked before eating, without the lengthy curing and drying process associated with traditional dry-cured chorizo.
Its most distinctive ingredient is pimentón, the paprika that's so closely associated with Spanish cooking. Sweet Spanish paprika provides the characteristic deep red colour and rich pepper flavour, while a smaller amount of smoked paprika introduces a gentle smoky note without overwhelming the sausage.
Garlic, black pepper and oregano complete the seasoning, but the final ingredient gives the sausage another distinctly Iberian character: dry red wine. It adds acidity, aroma and depth while bringing the spices together with the richness of the pork.
The combination of pork shoulder and pork belly naturally provides both lean meat and sufficient fat for a succulent sausage. Once cooked, the interior remains juicy while the paprika gives the meat its unmistakable warm reddish colour.
Chorizo Fresco is particularly good cooked over a hot grill, where the casing browns and the rendered pork fat carries the paprika, garlic and wine aromas. But it's equally at home in a frying pan, roasted in the oven or cut into pieces and cooked into beans, potatoes, rice and other rustic dishes.
For the home sausage maker, it offers all the bold character we associate with Spanish chorizo without requiring a curing chamber or weeks of maturation.
Fresh, juicy, garlicky and rich with pimentón and red wine, Chorizo Fresco is Spanish sausage making at its most approachable.
