For NY, I would WAG, Breakfast, Franks, Italian, and going much further down the list now, Brat, Polish, Chorizo. Breakfast I think would be way ahead due to the popularity of breakfast sandwiches, though I don’t really consider NY noteworthy of a famous sausage, except for Nathan’s hot dogs, which isn’t really doing that well.
Yes, the standard type is not cured or smoked. There may be Mexican versions of chorizo that are, but the default is a fresh, uncured sausage, with a somewhat wet texture to it compared to other fresh sausages. It is definitely different than Spanish chorizo and not really interchangeable.
If you find a purveyor of chorizo you like, you cherish them. The butcher at the Guadalajaran market down the street turns out an excellent version. Nicely spicy. If you don’t have something like that nearby, Albertson’s/Vons/Safeway carry bulk chorizo right next to the bulk Italian sausage in the meat case.
They are disgusting. Basically the texture and flavor of a mushy, cheaply made hot dog or frank.
Ye, but if you are a Boy Scout on a camping trip, they are God’s Food.
Yeah, Mexican and Spanish chorizos are only related by name, but are really very different. I use Spanish chorizo when I make paella, and rarely use the Mexican sort for anything unless it’s been tamed down a bit.
It’s funny as I don’t even know where to get Spanish chorizo. I mean, I’m sure I can find it if I look around, but it’s not in most grocery stores. Whereas, here, the Mexican version is. I therefore pretty much only use Mexican chorizo. It’s a great way to make a dull plate of scrambled eggs sing for breakfast!
I’ve always assumed that “chorizo” is a generic term for sausage in Mexican cuisine since it is never anything like the chorizo imported from Spain. Machaca is what’s usually mixed with eggs but it’s often called chorizo on the menu.
Here in Chicago they do chorizo. I don’t really see machaca around here, only when I go out West.
High end delis and cheese or wine shops. The most available is a brand called Palacios. I recommend the hot.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BTF9D8?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_ypp_rep_k0_1_6&=&crid=9FFD771382YU&=&sprefix=palaci
You know Spaniards really went berserk when Jamie Oliver published his recipe for paella with chorizo? Chorizo is considered much too strong flavoured for a paella, it takes centre stage and leaves no room for other tastes (saffron, rabbit, snails, all the green beans and artichockes and… and…) or subtlety and, worst of all, goes against tradition.
Funnily enough one of the oldest paella recipes from several centuries ago did mention chorizo, though it is hard to know what chorizo really tasted back then.
OK, Spaniards can be quite elitist and fussy concerning paella, which is something completely different from “rice with things” also translated as “rice with stuff”.
You can usually order it from Amazon, if they have a food option where you live. (oops, ninja-ed). I used to order it from La Tienda, where they have all good things from Spain, a lot of which are from a company called Peregrino: chorizo, pequillo peppers, etc. You can also buy real-deal jambon and smoked paprikas, Spanish saffron, short-grain paella rice, cheeses, etc. Just be advised that your bank account will take a hit just by visiting that website.
I can see how that could easily happen. I’m very judicious about putting it in there, but I like the occasional smoky hit while eating the paella and I think it complements the seafood.
Wow, La Tienda is really expensive. A whole ham for 1,650 $, without the holder (279 $ extra) but with free shipping. No, sorry. Fly to Spain, buy three and save money*.
*OK, that is not counting with US customs and their reaction at the border to foreign cured salty meat.
#10 & #11 Breakfast Combos at the spot down the street.
Yeah, it’s why I opt for Amazon now, sadly.
In terms of shelf space in grocery stores, the smoked sausages descended from the state’s Czech and German immigrants dominate. Brands like Chappell HIll, Holmes Smokehouse, Kountry Boys, Slovacek, Southside Market (Elgin), and Kiolbassa are all brands I have seen locally in grocery stores, along with the national brands like Eckrich and Hillshire Farm.
I’d bet though, that loose breakfast sausage sells the most, even if there are fewer brands. And it could be considered local even, as Owens sausage used to have their factory in suburban Dallas (Richardson, TX) until about 10 years ago. I couldn’t say whether chorizo outsells it though.
Asparagus are not cheap either, but if you want some luxury to indulge on, I warmly recommend those. Only 19 $ a can, perhaps for birthday?
Different style/food. Kind of in the same way a tortilla in Spain means something entirely different than a Mexican tortilla.
The one thing you have to watch out for on commercial chorizo is the ingredients. A lot of brands are really made from the stuff that everyone jokes about hot dogs being made from, and it says so on the label. Stuff like pancreases, salivary glands, lymph nodes, etc… are called out on the label. And I’m sort of suspicious of ones that just say “beef” or “pork” as a result.
Here’s a stellar recipe from a well-known Texas food writer who knows a bit about Tex-Mex/Mexican cooking. All you need meat-wise is a pound of ground pork, which is usually easy to come by.
If we’re sharing, this Zarela Martinez recipe is my favorite when I first came across it in her cookbook twenty or so years ago. It’s a bit more involved, but has more of the spices I expect of chorizo, at least around the various Chicago markets.
As far as truth in packaging goes my favorite was the pickled “bar” weenies. The first two ingredients were beef and beef lips.
I like a snappy sausage. When I tried my first full Irish breakfast last year I was surprised that the bangers were soft. Nut much bang.
And what’s up with those soft white brats?