Sure, you can buy Mexican chorizo in most local grocery stores these days. But I can guarantee that commercial varieties won’t have the same wonderful flavor as the following recipe which hails from Toluca, which is only a short distance from Mexico City, making it an appropriate ingredient of any Cinco de Mayo celebration. The list of ingredients is long, but it’s actually a snap to make. The only thing that takes any time is toasting and grinding the chiles, which are available at surprisingly many local groceries as well as at Food Fantasies, but pure red chile powder (without salt, garlic powder, cumin, etc. and available at Food Fantasies) makes an acceptable substitute. Otherwise it’s just a matter of measuring and mixing.
There are many types of chorizo, in both Spain and Mexico — some cured and dried, others fresh, as with the one presented here. Tolucan chorizo is meant to be used as seasoning; the flavor is too intense to eat by itself. But its taste is so fantastic that I make it in large batches, then freeze it in half cup portions to use in many preparations such as beans, combined with scrambled eggs for a weekend brunch, and, not least, for the queso fundido below. While it’s traditionally made and most flavorful with pork, ground turkey, or even vegetarian ground meat substitutes can be used in place of the pork. This recipe is an adaptation of one that appears in Authentic Mexican, by Rick Bayless, authored with DeeAnn Groen Bayless, that the authors based on Velásquez de León’s Platillos regionales de la República Mexicana.
CHORIZO TOLUQUEÑO
2 dried ancho chiles 2 dried pasilla chiles OR substitute one additional ancho chile for the two pasillas OR substitute 4 ½ T. pure chile powder for all the chiles 1 ½ lb. ground pork ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican 1 tsp. oregano, preferably Mexican ¼ tsp. ground cloves ¼ tsp. ground ginger ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground ½ tsp. ground black pepper, preferably freshly ground 2 T. good quality sweet paprika 4 cloves finely minced garlic 1/3 c. cider vinegar 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
Open the chiles and discard the stems and seeds.
Tear them into flat pieces. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium high heat. When the surface is hot, lay the chile pieces, a few a time, on the surface and press with a metal spatula just until they blister and change color. Cool to room temperature, then grind in a spice grinder to a fine powder, or, alternatively, grind in a mortar and pestle.
Put the ground pork in a large bowl and mix in the chile powder and the remaining ingredients thoroughly. Cook a tablespoon of the mixture to check the seasoning and add more salt if desired.
Refrigerate the chorizo, covered, for several hours or overnight to develop the flavors before using.
I’ve made queso fundido more times than I can count — for adult parties, my kids’ high school gatherings, cooking classes, potlucks, home alone nights for my husband and me, etc. — and there are never, ever are any leftovers.
QUESO FUNDIDO
1 lb. Mexican white cheese, often labeled as Queso
Chihuahau or other mild white cheese suitable for melting such as brick or Monterey Jack. ½ c. chorizo from above recipe or purchased ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced 1 medium fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
Preheat the broiler. Cut the cheese into approximately 1-inch cubes and place in an ovenproof serving dish or skillet just large enough to hold the cubes in a single layer.
In a medium skillet, sauté the chorizo until just cooked through, breaking up any large chunks. Put the cooked chorizo in a small bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to the heat and add the onion and poblano. If your chorizo is very lean and there was little or no fat in the skillet, add a teaspoon or so of bacon fat or vegetable oil. Sauté the vegetables until soft and lightly browned and caramelized, 5- 10 minutes, being sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the chorizo to the pan and mix with the onion and poblano and keep warm. Put the dish with the cheese under the broiler and broil until the cheese just begins to melt, removing before the cheese begins to bubble (the cubes should still be somewhat discernible).
Spread the chorizo/onion/chile mixture over the cheese and return to the broiler. Broil until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips or as a filling for soft tacos.
Serves 6–8.
