Chef Isabel
Almussafes Valenciano
Almussafes is Valencian bar-counter food: a crusty roll filled with sobrasada, cheese, and onion, then pressed on the plancha until the bread crisps and the filling runs together.
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Bocadillo de Chorizo de Teror
Created by
Gran Canaria's Teror bocadillo is bread and soft paprika-red chorizo, warmed gently so the fat glosses the crumb. Spreadable, not sliced, is the point.
Sandwiches & Wraps
Spanish
Quick Meal
Budget Friendly
10 min
Active Time
8 min cook•38 min total
Yield4 bocadillos
Bocadillo de Chorizo de Teror is Gran Canaria's, and more exactly Teror's: a crusty roll opened, spread with soft paprika-red chorizo, and warmed until the fat sinks into the crumb. It is not a sandwich of sliced chorizo. The sausage is para untar, for spreading, loose enough to move with a knife, red with pimentón and garlic, and richer than it looks.
The method that decides it is gentle heat. Let the chorizo lose its refrigerator chill, spread it in an even layer, then warm the bread just until the filling turns glossy and stains the crumb red. Too much heat and the fat runs out. Too little and you get cold paste in bread, which is food, yes, but not the bocadillo people line up for in Teror.
If you can't find Chorizo de Teror, look first for chorizo canario para untar, the Canarian spreadable kind. After that, sobrasada de Mallorca is the closest Spanish substitute in texture, though the flavor moves to the Balearics and tastes sweeter and heavier. Use a little less. No hace falta haber pisado España, but you do have to buy the right sort of sausage.
In the Margin beside this one I wrote only: no lo frías. Don't fry it. Warm it. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Chorizo de Teror belongs to Teror, in the northern medianías of Gran Canaria, where the town's market and the pilgrimage to the Virgen del Pino helped make the soft red sausage an island marker. Unlike the firmer chorizos of the peninsula, this Canarian one is made to be spread, with pork, pimentón, garlic, wine, salt, and spices beaten into a loose paste and packed in casing. The bocadillo is the plain carrier: cheap bread, a generous smear, and enough warmth for the fat to carry the pimentón into the crumb.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Chorizo de Teror or chorizo canario para untar
Quantity
240g
casing removed
small crusty white rolls, preferably pan de puño or firm barra
Quantity
4 rolls, about 320g total
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Chorizo de Teror or chorizo canario para untarcasing removed | 240g |
| small crusty white rolls, preferably pan de puño or firm barra | 4 rolls, about 320g total |
Equipment Needed
- •Bread knife
- •Small spreading knife
- •Dry skillet or plancha
- •Spatula
Instructions
- 1
Temper the chorizo
Take the Chorizo de Teror from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you cook. Remove the casing and mash the sausage lightly with a fork so it spreads like softened butter. If the red fat has separated a little, stir it back in; that pimentón oil is part of the dish.
Buy chorizo sold as para untar, for spreading. If the sausage slices neatly, it is the wrong chorizo for this bocadillo. - 2
Open the bread
Split the rolls lengthwise, leaving a hinge if the bread allows it. If using a barra, cut it into four pieces of about 15 to 18cm each. Warm the cut sides in a dry skillet or on a plancha for 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to firm the crumb. Do not oil the pan; the chorizo brings all the fat it needs.
- 3
Spread, don't slice
Spread 60g of chorizo inside each roll in a thin, even layer, about 5mm thick, right to the edges. This is the whole point of Teror's chorizo: it melts into the bread because it is spread, not sliced. Pésalo, no lo adivines, at least the first time.
- 4
Warm it gently
Close the bocadillos and set them in a dry skillet over low to medium heat. Press lightly with a spatula, not hard, and warm for about 2 minutes per side, until the bread is crisp at the edges and the filling looks glossy where it peeks out. The red oil should stain the crumb, not pour from the sandwich.
- 5
Serve at once
Let the bocadillos sit for 1 minute, then cut them in half if you like. Eat them warm, while the bread still has its crust and the chorizo is soft. Nothing else is needed.
Chef Tips
- •Chorizo de Teror should feel soft under the casing and spread at room temperature. If it behaves like a firm cured chorizo, save that one for another meal.
- •Far from the Canaries, use chorizo canario para untar first. If you only find sobrasada de Mallorca, use about 45g per roll instead of 60g because it is richer, and know the flavor has moved islands.
- •Choose bread with a tight crumb and a real crust. Very open sourdough leaks the red oil, and soft sandwich bread collapses before the chorizo warms.
- •A slice of queso tierno canario is common enough, but then say what it is: bocadillo de chorizo de Teror con queso. Good, but not the plain bocadillo.
Advance Preparation
- •The chorizo can be portioned a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring it back to room temperature before spreading.
- •Do not assemble these hours ahead if you want crisp bread. For packed lunches, spread the bread, wrap tightly, and warm just before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 140g)
Calories
485 calories
Total Fat
26 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
17 g
Cholesterol
45 mg
Sodium
1300 mg
Total Carbohydrates
43 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
17 g
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