Papas con Chorizo Guanajuatenses

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 12-inch cast iron skillet or clay cazuela
• •Wooden spoon for breaking up the chorizo
• •Comal for warming corn tortillas
• •Molcajete for salsa de jitomate and chile serrano

Instructions

1. 1

   Parcook the potatoes

   Put the diced potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water by one inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook 6 to 8 minutes, just until the edges are tender but the centers still hold. Drain well and spread them on a towel for 5 minutes. Wet potatoes do not brown. They steam, and breakfast has no patience for that.

2. 2

   Render the chorizo

   Heat the manteca de cerdo in a wide skillet or clay cazuela over medium heat. Add the chorizo de Apaseo and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the sausage darkens, the chile-stained fat separates, and the kitchen smells of garlic, vinegar, chile ancho, and pepper. That fat is where the potatoes are going to learn their manners.

   If your chorizo releases a lot of thin orange grease, keep only about 3 tablespoons in the pan. Too much fat makes the potatoes heavy. Too little makes them dry. Balance, not fear.
3. 3

   Cook the aromatics

   Add the white onion and chile serrano to the chorizo. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the pan, until the onion softens and turns stained red from the chorizo. Add the garlic, Mexican oregano, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 30 seconds. Garlic burns fast, so don't wander off.

4. 4

   Brown the potatoes

   Add the drained potatoes and fold them through the chorizo gently so they stay in pieces. Press them into an even layer and let them cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Stir, press again, and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, until the edges are crisp, red with chile fat, and a few pieces stick lightly to the pan. That sticking is flavor. Scrape it up.

5. 5

   Taste and finish

   Taste one potato. It should be salted all the way through, not only on the surface, and the chorizo should cling to it instead of sitting in greasy clumps. If the pan looks dry, add 1 teaspoon manteca and toss once. If it looks oily, cook one more minute over medium-high heat so the potatoes drink in what they need.

6. 6

   Serve in tortillas

   Serve hot from the skillet with warm corn tortillas, salsa de molcajete, raw white onion, cilantro, and lime. This is breakfast for workers, students, taqueros, and anyone who knows a potato can carry a whole morning when the cook respects the pan. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Buy chorizo de Apaseo if you can. Ask the butcher whether it is made with chile ancho, guajillo, vinegar, garlic, and pork fat. If the answer is vague, keep walking. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado.
• •Use waxy potatoes, not mealy baking potatoes. You want cubes that brown at the edges and hold together inside the tortilla. A potato that turns to mash belongs somewhere else.
• •La manteca es el sabor. Vegetable oil will cook the potatoes, yes, but it will not give the same round flavor or the same browned edges. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •This dish should taste savory and chile-rich, not brutally hot. One serrano is enough for the pan. Put the heat on the table with salsa so each person decides.
• •Do not add cheddar, sour cream, or iceberg lettuce. That is another cuisine. This one is Guanajuato.

Advance Preparation

• •The potatoes can be diced and held covered in cold water in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Drain and dry them well before cooking.
• •The potatoes can be parcooked one day ahead and refrigerated uncovered once cool. This makes them brown faster in the morning.
• •Leftover papas con chorizo keep refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat in a skillet, not a microwave, so the potatoes recover their browned edges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 420g)