Cooking & Baking
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I canned 4 pints of mirepoix last night and froze 2.5 pounds of homemade Mexican chorizo in 8-ounce portions this morning. I also have 2.5 pounds of plain ground pork in 5-ounce portions frozen from last weekend, and bought a huge bag of frozen peas.
Given it took me almost a month to get all the way through the horrible adenovirus I had, I made some inroads on my existing stock and need to replace. It was damned handy to not have to go to the store often or do a lot of scratch cooking, though.
I still have no appetite; I can taste and smell just fine, but I don't get hungry; I eat because I know it's time and I have to. It's a really weird feeling, but I do know how to supply good-tasting healthy food in reasonable portions. Brainworm Bobby would be scandalized that I'm not following his advice. As if I'd pay any attention to an upside-down food pyramid that was based on lobbyists' recommendations.
surrealAmerican
(11,747 posts)I've never had homemade chorizo. I may need to see a recipe.
chowmama
(1,010 posts)6 oz of dried chiles 50:50 ancho and pasilla is good. Use whats available, mostly on the milder side.
6 large cloves of garlic, still in their paper skins
Oil or lard
3# fatty pork, give or take an ounce, ground coarsely. If grinding at home, put through coarsest blade twice.
6 Tbsp (2 shots) white wine or cider vinegar
3 Tbsp (1 shot) tequila
2 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
Large bunch cilantro, minced
Put on a black t-shirt and an old pair of work pants, something you wont mind staining. Trust me on this.
Process the chiles as usual Rip off the stems, shake out any loose seeds. Toast them on both sides in a hot dry pan, pressing down on them, until they are soft, fragrant and a little lighter in color. Rip them open and remove the rest of the seeds and veins (if a few persist, theyll be strained out later). Tear them into large pieces and cover them with as little boiling water as possible, weighing them down so they stay under. Let them soak till soft.
Roast the garlic cloves in foil in a hot oven till soft and a little browned. Take off the paper peel.
Process the chiles and the garlic with some of the soaking liquid in a blender or processor until the paste is smooth. Pass it through a fine food mill to get out the remaining skins and seeds. Fry it in a little oil or lard until its as thick as tomato paste, 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Let cool and chill. Can do ahead to here.
Mix the remaining liquid and seasonings into the chili paste and mix enough of this sauce with the meat to moisten and color it strongly, but not enough to make it soupy. Leftover sauce is good in chili, or can be frozen or pressure-canned for later use. Freeze any meat youre not using immediately, portioned in baggies.
irisblue
(36,862 posts)Glad to read you are feeling better and have the strength to canning