| Chorizo is that wonderfully tasty sausage to be found | | | | with rice and spices to make "morcilla" or black |
| and enjoyed all over Spain. There are many different | | | | pudding. |
| ones, each Spanish family having its own particular | | | | It was also the task of the females to make the |
| favorite but, basically, they fall into two different types... | | | | chorizo sausages. For this, they would take the pig's |
| fresh chorizo, which will need cooking before you eat | | | | intestine, empty it, clean it, and then leave it to soak in |
| it, and cured chorizo, which you can slice and consume | | | | salt water, to remove any unpleasant odors. |
| just as it is. | | | | Once ready, the intestine would be filled with a mixture |
| Chorizo sausages are normally a strong, orangey-red | | | | of finely-chopped pork, paprika, garlic and salt, and the |
| color. This is because of the paprika or | | | | end tied in a knot. Originally, the chopping of the meat |
| pimentón they contain - a main ingredient of | | | | and the procedure of squeezing it into the intestine |
| chorizo sausages. | | | | was all done manually. Nowadays, however, there's a |
| Paprika comes in two different types - "picante" or | | | | machine to help with this. |
| spicy, and "dulce" or sweet. Depending on the type of | | | | Once filled and securely tied, the chorizo sausage was |
| paprika used to make the sausage, the resulting | | | | ready for hanging. It would be left to cure in a |
| chorizo will be either a spicy or sweet variety. | | | | well-ventilated place, probably for at least 3 months. |
| But, how is chorizo made, and what are its origins?... | | | | Nowadays, the pig is killed in the local abattoir, under |
| How To Make Chorizo | | | | strict, hygienic conditions. A vet will test the meat and, |
| Going back, more Spanish families lived in the country. | | | | once it's been approved, the owner of the pig will |
| More-often-than-not, they'd have a little plot of land, | | | | collect it, take it home, and carry on with preparing it. |
| where they'd grow their own vegetables, keep some | | | | And now, for those of you with a pig roaming around |
| chickens... and fatten a pig. | | | | in your garden, which you plan to slaughter in |
| The beauty of keeping a pig was that it could be | | | | November, here's a basic recipe for making your very |
| cheaply fed from kitchen leftovers and, once killed, | | | | own, tasty, chorizo sausage!... |
| nearly every part could be used, with practically no | | | | Chorizo Recipe |
| waste. When November arrived, and the pig was nice | | | | Ingredients: |
| and fat, the family would gather together - each having | | | | - 1 kilo pork |
| their own particular role to play - and kill the pig. | | | | - 40 gr paprika - sweet or spicy, according to taste |
| In Spanish, this slaughtering of the pig is known as the | | | | - 2 cloves garlic - peeled and crushed |
| "matanza", and is still very much celebrated in Spanish | | | | - 20 gr salt |
| villages to-day, with fun-loving fiestas, free-flowing | | | | - 50 cm pig's intestine |
| wine, and much rejoicing. | | | | - A little water |
| Why did the "matanza" traditionally take place in | | | | Method: |
| November? Well, the weather was cooler then, with | | | | 1. Chop up the pork fairly finely. |
| less chance of the meat going off. Also, it meant that | | | | 2. Mix in the paprika, garlic, and salt. |
| village people were well-stocked up for the winter. This | | | | 3. If necessary, use a little water to facilitate mixing. |
| was particularly important as - even to-day - | | | | 4. Cover with cling film. |
| more-isolated villages in mountainous areas are | | | | 5. Leave in fridge 24-48 hours. |
| completely cut off for a spell during winter when | | | | 6. Fill intestine with the mixture, leaving a few |
| heavy snows have fallen. | | | | centimetres of intestine free at one end. |
| Going back, each family would kill its own pig. This was | | | | 7. Tie a knot in the end of the intestine. |
| no easy task, as getting a big, fat pig settled, ready for | | | | 8. Leave to hang in a well-ventilated place, normally for |
| the knife, is quite hard work! | | | | 3 months plus. |
| The pig was killed by stabbing it in the neck. This also | | | | Well, I do hope all this talk of killing pigs and filling |
| released the blood, which the ladies of the family | | | | intestines won't put you off enjoying all those delicious |
| would catch in a bowl. Care had to be taken to ensure | | | | chorizo sausages you'll find in Spain! |
| the blood didn't clot, for this was needed for mixing | | | | |