Chef Isabel
Androlla Gallega con Cachelos y Grelos
Androlla is Galician winter food from the eastern mountains: smoked pork rib and skin, cured with pimentón, boiled slowly until tender, then served with cachelos and greens.
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Chorizo a la Sidra
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Chorizo a la Sidra is Asturias in a small cazuela: smoky cooking chorizo simmered whole in dry natural cider, sliced only when plump, with enough glossy red sauce for bread.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Quick Meal
Dinner Party
Comfort Food
5 min
Active Time
25 min cook•30 min total
Yield4 servings
Chorizo a la Sidra is Asturian, a small cazuela of smoky chorizo cooked in the natural cider Asturias drinks from wide glasses and pours from a height. Two ingredients, if they're the right two: chorizo asturiano and dry sidra natural. The sausage gives pimentón-red fat; the cider gives sharp apple and a little sweetness as it cooks down. That is what makes it this dish, not just sausage warmed in wine.
The method that decides it is simple: simmer the links whole and gently until they plump, then slice them only at the end. Boil them hard and the skins split, the fat runs out, and the sauce turns greasy before the cider has done its work. Keep it at a steady burble, turn the chorizos once or twice, and let the cider reduce to a glossy, red-stained spoonful. No sofrito, no garnish, no cleverness. The cider is the whole point.
Far from Asturias, look for Spanish cooking chorizo, fresco or oreado, not a crumbly fresh sausage from another kitchen and not pepperoni. If all you can find is a firmer cured Spanish chorizo, use it, but simmer it for less time and expect a tighter bite. For the cider, use a dry hard cider if you can't get sidra asturiana. Sweet cider makes a sticky sauce, so sharpen it with a spoon of cider vinegar and know the change. No hace falta haber pisado España. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Chorizo a la Sidra belongs to Asturias, where apple orchards, sidrerías, and the cured pork larder meet at the same table. In the chigres, the region's cider houses, sidra natural is poured in small measures called culines and also used in the pan, where its sharpness softens the richness of smoked chorizo. The dish is a ración meant for sharing, with bread for the pimentón-stained cider sauce, because leaving that sauce behind would be the real waste.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
chorizo asturiano or Spanish cooking chorizo
Quantity
600g
whole links
sidra natural asturiana or dry hard cider
Quantity
500ml
cider vinegar (optional)
Quantity
1 tablespoon
only if the cider is sweet
rustic bread (optional)
Quantity
to serve
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| chorizo asturiano or Spanish cooking chorizowhole links | 600g |
| sidra natural asturiana or dry hard cider | 500ml |
| cider vinegar (optional)only if the cider is sweet | 1 tablespoon |
| rustic bread (optional) | to serve |
Equipment Needed
- •Small cazuela de barro or heavy frying pan, 20 to 22cm
- •Tongs
- •Sharp knife
Instructions
- 1
Prick the links
Put the whole chorizos in a small cazuela or heavy pan just large enough to hold them in one layer. Prick each link once or twice with the tip of a knife, no more. You're giving the skin a place to breathe, not draining the sausage before it has cooked.
- 2
Add the cider
Pour in the cider so it comes most of the way up the sides of the chorizos. If your cider is sweet rather than dry, add the cider vinegar now. Set the pan over medium heat and bring it just to a steady simmer. Do not add salt; the chorizo has enough.
- 3
Simmer gently
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes, turning the chorizos once or twice, until the links look plump and the cider has reduced by about half into a glossy red sauce. Keep it gentle. A hard boil splits the skins and leaves you with greasy cider instead of sauce.
If the cider reduces too quickly before the chorizo has plumped, add another splash. The pan should never run dry. - 4
Slice and serve
Lift the chorizos out and let them sit for 2 minutes, then cut them into thick coins, about 1.5cm. Return the slices to the cider sauce and turn them once so they shine with the pimentón oil. Serve straight from the cazuela with bread for mopping. Tal como se hace allí.
Chef Tips
- •Buy chorizo asturiano if you can, or another Spanish cooking chorizo marked fresco or oreado. It should be firm enough to slice after cooking but not dry like a salami.
- •Avoid very sweet cider. Sidra natural is dry, sharp, and a little wild-tasting; a dry hard cider is the honest substitute. Apple juice is not cider for this dish.
- •If you use fully cured Spanish chorizo, simmer it for 10 to 12 minutes only. It will be saltier and firmer, and the sauce will be a little oilier, but it still gives you the right idea.
- •Use a small pan. In a wide pan the cider disappears before the chorizo has warmed through, and then you are scraping instead of serving.
Advance Preparation
- •This is best cooked just before serving, but you can simmer it up to 30 minutes ahead and rewarm gently in the same sauce with a splash of cider.
- •Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 days. Reheat slowly, adding a little cider or water if the sauce has tightened.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 230g)
Calories
805 calories
Total Fat
59 g
Saturated Fat
22 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
35 g
Cholesterol
130 mg
Sodium
2050 mg
Total Carbohydrates
25 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
40 g
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