Papas con Chorizo Jalisciense

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide cast iron skillet or 12-inch clay cazuela
• •Dry comal for toasting the chile guajillo
• •Wooden spoon
• •Clean kitchen towel for drying potatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Parcook the potatoes

   Put the diced potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water by one inch. Add the tablespoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are just tender but the centers still hold. Drain well and spread the potatoes on a towel for 5 minutes. Wet potatoes do not fry. They sulk in the pan.

2. 2

   Wake the chile

   Toast the chile guajillo on a dry comal over medium heat, about 20 seconds per side, just until fragrant and flexible. Do not blacken it. Soak it in hot water for 10 minutes, then blend it with 2 tablespoons of the soaking water until smooth. This small chile paste strengthens the color and reminds the pan what Jalisco chorizo should taste like.

3. 3

   Render the chorizo

   Heat a wide cast iron skillet or clay cazuela over medium heat. Add the chorizo and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, stirring often, until the pork is cooked through and the fat turns brick red. If the chorizo is dry or too lean, add the manteca de cerdo. La manteca es el sabor, and potatoes need fat if you expect crisp edges.

   Good fresh chorizo from a carniceria should smell of chile ancho, guajillo, garlic, vinegar, and oregano, not sugar and red dye. Preguntale a las senoras del mercado.
4. 4

   Fry the aromatics

   Add the diced white onion to the chorizo fat and cook 3 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the pan. Add the garlic, Mexican oregano, bay leaf, black pepper, and the guajillo paste. Cook 1 minute more. The mixture should darken and smell sharp from the vinegar in the chorizo and warm from the chile. That is the base.

5. 5

   Crisp the potatoes

   Add the drained potatoes and fold them gently through the chorizo. Spread them into one even layer and leave them alone for 4 minutes. Stir, spread again, and cook another 4 to 6 minutes, until the potato edges are crisp, stained red, and catching in spots against the pan. Do not mash them into puree. Papas con chorizo should have pieces you can see.

6. 6

   Season and serve

   Remove the bay leaf. Taste for salt. Chorizo varies wildly, so salt at the end, not before. Serve from the cazuela with warm corn tortillas, salsa roja de chile de arbol, raw onion, cilantro, and lime halves. Or put it beside eggs, beans, or rice on the comida plate. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Buy chorizo from a carniceria that makes it in-house. Ask if it has chile ancho, chile guajillo, garlic, vinegar, and Mexican oregano. If they cannot tell you what is in it, they are selling mystery sausage.
• •Do not add tomato unless you are making a different guiso. The red color here comes from chorizo fat and guajillo, not tomato sauce.
• •Corn tortillas belong here in Jalisco for tacos de papas con chorizo. Flour tortillas are a northern tradition. Respect the map.
• •If the potatoes are starchy russets, parboil them one minute less and handle them gently. They break faster. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better.

Advance Preparation

• •The potatoes can be diced and held covered in cold water for up to 8 hours. Drain and dry them well before cooking.
• •The chile guajillo paste can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated in a small covered jar.
• •Leftovers keep refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat in a skillet, not a microwave, so the potatoes regain their edges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)