Want to learn how to prepare Portguguese chourico sausages the right way? Read our guide for more facts & information…
Chouriço (pronounced sho-ree-zoo) is a Portuguese sausage that is said to resemble the Spanish Chorizo sausage. The chouriço is typically made using pork shoulder, and seasoned with black pepper, salt, garlic, and sweet paprika. Some people add additional heat to their chouriço with piri-piri, a hot, peppery Portuguese sauce that traces its origins to colonial Africa.
Use 2½ pounds of pork butt or pork shoulder. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes.
Ensure the following seasonings are on hand:
½ teaspoon garlic powder or crushed garlic, ½ cup chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, 6 teaspoons chili powder, 4 tablespoons paprika, 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoons crushed red pepper, ½ teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon onion powder.
Whatever type of meat you choose the procedure is basically the same:
Add the pork to a large mixing bowl. Mix the other ingredients in another smaller size bowl. Blend thoroughly. Add in the pork with your chosen seasonings and mix well. Place the mixture in the refrigerator in a covered container for at least a day – or as long as two days.
Remove from the refrigerator. Use a food processor to grind the meat or employ a traditional meat grinder equipped with a ½ inch die and grind the meat twice.
One should keep in mind that the seasonings listed can be varied according to preference and taste. Many people add red wine to the mixture and allow the mixture to marinate for an extra day or two.
If you are determined to make a chouriço all by your self you will need to obtain some sausage casings to stuff with the meat and spices you have prepared.
Butchers that cater to lovers of Portuguese cuisine typically sell dried yellow bundles of gut that can be used as casings. You will need to wash these skins several times in water with lemon juice, adding a little brandy for the last wash. Turn them inside-out and leave to dry.
The prepared skins can be filled with the meat and spice mixture using an appropriately sized funnel and tied at intervals with thread or twine. Hang up the chouricos to dry and mature over a wood fire.
If the preceding procedures seem too time-consuming or involved, genuine Portuguese chourico sausages are readily available from grocery stores or delis that carry Portuguese foods. You now know what goes into making one at the very least.
