Chorizo taco

I watched Rick Bayless the other night while he discussed the types of chorizo and made a yummy-looking chorizo taco. The next morning, I needed a substantial breakfast so I made one to eat alongside a fried egg. I have to admit it was my first chorizo taco, and it was definitely good.

Essentially all you do is remove the chorizo casing, crumble the chorizo into a skillet with some onion rings sliced in half and saute for 10 minutes. In the meantime I warmed up a fresh corn tortilla. I drained the meat and onions and placed them on my warm, soft tortilla. Yum.

[Jenise]

Larry, while travelling the southwest I had a chorizon taco for breakfast in either Albuquerque or Santa Fe, can't recall which, and it was just at some small coffee shop kind of place, nothing fancy. Very delicious--would have thought that kind of thing possible all over your neck of the woods--not the case?

And which type of Chorizo does one use?

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Mexican, which is a fresh sausage. Not cured, like Spanish.

Larry, while travelling the southwest I had a chorizon taco for breakfast in either Albuquerque or Santa Fe, can't recall which, and it was just at some small coffee shop kind of place, nothing fancy. Very delicious--would have thought that kind of thing possible all over your neck of the woods--not the case?

I'm sure they're popular, but I must never have noticed them. Sometimes it takes me a while to catch up.

And which type of Chorizo does one use?

-Paul W.

Rick Bayless used pork chorizo; I used some beef chorizo that I had. I'm sure either would be good.

BTW, on Bayless' show he showed some chorizo verde, which is made with green chile instead of red. I've never seen that kind, and he said it is pretty much confined to Mexico, but he demonstrated how to make it.

[Jenise]

Larry, the only other place I've seen chorizo tacos were Tiajuana and, just last year, a little joint in Walla Walla Washington, of all places. And you bet I ordered it! My second taco was made from the pork that's cooked with really hot red chilis, bitter orange and wrapped in avocado leaves--I know Paul knows the name of this, but I can only remember that it's a real fun name to say. I was in heaven. Anyway, that's the only time outside of NM and south of the border I've ever seen chorizo tacos on a menu. I'm surprised that it's not more common--it's sooooooooooooooooooooo good.

That reminds me, Cowboy posted a recipe for homemade chorizo awhile back. Would be cool to make it onesself.

Odd. Up here, in more places than not, chorizo is one of the standard meats like pork, chicken or beef that is offered in tacos, burritos, etc.

[Jenise]

Odd. Up here, in more places than not, chorizo is one of the standard meats like pork, chicken or beef that is offered in tacos, burritos, etc.

IN WISCONSIN? You're lying just to make us feel bad, aren't you.

All true. But then the places we go to are run by Mexicans and are not named Chi Chi's.

Many years ago, on my first trip to San Antonio, we ate at a small hole-in-the-wall place that served a "breakfast taco" made with potatoes, scrambled egg and chorizo. Those were delicious, not to mention cheap. Sadly though, on our next visit, the place was gone.

Odd. Up here, in more places than not, chorizo is one of the standard meats like pork, chicken or beef that is offered in tacos, burritos, etc.

Common here as well, along with a few types of pork and tongue. The chorizo are also a favorite of mine.

[Jenise]

How unusual! Chorizo's so rare here--tongue, all that, you see often. But even at taco trucks (a form of dining all unto it's own), chorizo is pretty uncommon out here (though we can buy the sausage in stores).

Okay, I'm getting seriously hungry here.

Mexican, which is a fresh sausage. Not cured, like Spanish.

Spanish chorizo is hard to come by around here, while Mexican is plentiful. Probably due to our growing Hispanic population.

Mexican-style chorizo and Portuguese linguica (there's a large Portuguese-American population in the area, especially in New Bedford, MA) are readily available in supermarkets here. Spanish-type chorizo is harder to come by.

-Paul W.

My butcher offers Mexican, Spanish, and Colombian chorizo. Anyone know the difference in a Colombian chorizo?

The Portuguese also have chouriço which is a little different from linguiça. (Strangely, when I visited New Bedford, MA, the hotelier pronounced it shu-REES and that seems to be accepted in the region.)

I made chorizo soft tacos, refried beans and rice last night for dinner. Edith gave her thumbs up.

[Jenise]

My butcher offers Mexican, Spanish, and Colombian chorizo. Anyone know the difference in a Colombian chorizo?

The Portuguese also have chouriço which is a little different from linguiça. (Strangely, when I visited New Bedford, MA, the hotelier pronounced it shu-REES and that seems to be accepted in the region.)

I found this description out in the wilds of the internet, Jeff, posted by someone who had just returned to the U.S. from Columbia swooning over Columbian chorizo and was dying to find it's like in and around New York City (I guess Jackson Heights has a significant Columbian population?): [url]The casing is filled with cuts rather than a mash and is wonderfully seasoned with herbs and spices other than paprika[/url]

Which doesn't mean that what your butcher offers would be a dead-on match, but it's a start.

Odd. Up here, in more places than not, chorizo is one of the standard meats like pork, chicken or beef that is offered in tacos, burritos, etc.

Same here in the Hoosier Heartland. We had a mejor influx of Mexican (or Mexican-American) laborers in the '90s because of the strong manufacturing base here in town. In their wake came a dozen tacquerias, a half dozen mercados, two panederias, a tortilleria and even a birrieria, not to mention Spanish-language car sales, convenience stores, etc. So, no problem finding a taco al pastor where the meat is sliced off a souvlaki/shwarma-style spit, tacos al lengua and, yes, chorizo tacos. And when Jean decided that we needed an outfit for our son's baptism, we headed to Las Nobedades, a store selling clothing for all of your major Catholic events.

Mark Lipton

I found this description out in the wilds of the internet, Jeff, posted by someone who had just returned to the U.S. from Columbia swooning over Columbian chorizo and was dying to find it's like in and around New York City (I guess Jackson Heights has a significant Columbian population?): [url]The casing is filled with cuts rather than a mash and is wonderfully seasoned with herbs and spices other than paprika[/url]

Which doesn't mean that what your butcher offers would be a dead-on match, but it's a start.

Thank you, Jenise. I don't think my neighborhood has a lot of Colombians, either, but a lot of the butchers are hispanic so maybe it's for themselves?