Chorizo de Teror (Soft Canarian Chorizo)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital scale
• •Meat grinder with fine 3mm plate or food processor
• •Heavy frying pan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Clean glass jars or small crock

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill and grind

   Spread the diced pork shoulder and belly on a tray and chill until very firm, about 20 to 30 minutes. Grind through a fine 3mm plate twice, or pulse in a food processor in short bursts until finely minced but not warm. The fat must stay cold so it smears into the paste later instead of melting out early.

2. 2

   Season the paste

   Mix the pimentón, salt, oregano, and black pepper in a bowl. Add the ground pork, softened lard, grated garlic, and white wine, then knead by hand for 3 to 4 minutes until the paste turns sticky, glossy, and brick red. Pésalo, no lo adivines: the salt and pimentón are what keep this balanced, not a guess from the spoon.

   Use sweet pimentón. A hot pimentón pushes the sausage away from Teror's mild, sweet character.
3. 3

   Rest overnight

   Press the paste into a clean bowl, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. This rest is not decoration. It lets the pimentón bloom through the fat, softens the raw edge of the garlic, and gives the wine time to settle into the meat.

4. 4

   Cook gently

   For a safe home version, scrape the rested paste into a heavy frying pan and set it over low heat. Cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and breaking it up, until it reaches 71C in several spots and looks glossy, red, and soft. Do not brown it hard. Browning makes it taste like fried mince, and this is a spread.

   If you have bought true Chorizo de Teror or a mild sobrasada from a trusted maker, don't cook it again. Let it soften and spread. This cooking step is for homemade raw pork paste in an ordinary kitchen.
5. 5

   Smooth and pack

   While the mixture is still warm, beat it hard with a wooden spoon until it becomes spreadable, or pulse it very briefly if you want it smoother. Pack it into clean jars or a small crock, pressing out air pockets. If storing for more than a day, spoon a thin layer of melted lard over the top, then chill.

6. 6

   Spread on bread

   Bring the chorizo close to room temperature before serving, or warm it very gently just until it loosens. Spread it thickly on warm rustic bread so the red oil stains the crumb. It should slump under the knife, not slice cleanly. If it stands in neat coins, that's another chorizo, not Teror's.

Chef Tips

• •Buy pork with real fat. Lean mince turns dry and grainy, no matter how much pimentón you add. Ask the butcher for shoulder and belly, or for pork mince with about 30 percent fat.
• •Sobrasada is the closest Spanish substitute if you cannot find Chorizo de Teror. It spreads properly, but it tastes more cured and often smokier. Loosen it with a spoon of white wine and a little soft lard if it is too stiff.
• •True Chorizo de Teror is a controlled cured sausage. Do not stuff raw pork into casings, leave it a day, and eat it uncooked. In a home kitchen, cook the paste gently to 71C unless it came from a maker who knows the work.
• •Pan de leña, wood-oven bread, is right if you can find it. Otherwise use a plain white country loaf with a firm crust. Warm bread is not a flourish here; it softens the fat and carries the pimentón oil.
• •For a picnic, pack the cooked spread cold and keep it in a cooler. Bring the bread separately and spread it when you eat.

Advance Preparation

• •The seasoned raw paste can rest in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before cooking. Keep it cold and cook it within that window.
• •The cooked spread keeps for 4 days covered in the refrigerator. A thin cap of melted lard helps protect the surface.
• •Freeze the cooked spread for up to 2 months in small containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring close to room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)