GREEN CHORIZO RECIPES

Steps:

• Place the ground pork in a large bowl. Set a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, oregano, bay leaf and cloves and toast briefly until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat, transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Add to the bowl with the ground pork.
• Return the skillet to a high flame and heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic cloves, Serrano and poblano chiles and roast, turning them from time to time until softened slightly and blackened in spots, about 6 to 12 minutes, removing the pieces as they finish cooking. Set aside to cool at room temperature. Once garlic cloves are cool enough to handle, peel them and discard the skin. Wearing gloves if possible, remove the stems and seeds from the Serrano chiles. Remove the stems and seeds from the poblano chile, and peel away the charred skin.
• In a blender, purée the roasted garlic cloves, Serrano and poblano chiles along with the sherry vinegar, parsley and kosher salt until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the ground pork and spices.
• Mix the chorizo with your (preferably gloved) hands until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use, or for up to 3 days. The chorizo can also be frozen in an airtight bag for up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Chill all grinder parts, including die with ¼” holes, in freezer until very cold, about 1 hour. Chill a large stainless-steel bowl in refrigerator until cold. Place pork in a single layer on 2 plastic wrap–lined baking sheets; cover and freeze until meat is very firm but not frozen, about 1 hour.
• Grind bay leaves in a spice mill. Combine with black pepper and 30 grams salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Cook spinach in a pot of boiling salted water until wilted, about 15 seconds; drain and run under cold water. Drain well, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Blend with chiles and 2 Tbsp. cold water in a blender until coarsely chopped; set aside.
• Grind pork on high speed, 3–4 pieces at a time, into chilled bowl (keep second baking sheet in freezer until ready to use). If grinder clogs (meat will look pink, not red and white), clean die and cutter before continuing.
• Add garlic and mix gently with your hands just to begin to distribute, about 20 seconds. Sprinkle reserved spice mixture evenly over pork and knead, rotating bowl, until spice mixture is evenly distributed and a light film has formed on the side of the bowl, about 1 minute.
• Add pumpkin seeds and oregano and mix gently with your hands just to begin to distribute, about 20 seconds, then add reserved spinach mixture and knead until mixture holds together and is very stiff (it will spring back when pressed), about 1 minute. (Don’t overmix or sausage will be crumbly.)
• Form ¼ cup sausage mixture into a 3”-diameter patty; press into palm. Extend hand with meat, palm facing down. If meat sticks for at least 5 seconds, it is sufficiently mixed. If not, continue to knead in 15-second intervals until it passes the palm test.
• Wrap patty in a small sheet of foil to form a flat packet. Cover and chill remaining mixture.
• Cook foil-wrapped patty in a small skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat until meat is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Let rest 2 minutes.
• Unwrap patty and cut in half; it should hold together. If not, save for another use—like pasta sauce!—and try again.
• Place casings in a large bowl under cold running water and let sit, allowing water to overflow and flushing water through casings (take care not to tangle!) until softened, about 2 minutes. Slide 1 casing onto stuffer nozzle, leaving a 6” overhang (do not tie). If casing is too long or tangles, cut in half and work with 1 piece at a time.
• Pack a handful of sausage mixture very lightly into stuffer. Working with a partner and with stuffer on high speed, use plunger to push meat through, gradually filling casing; gently slide filled casing off nozzle onto a baking sheet as you go.
• Fill casing firmly but don’t overstuff (mixture will tighten when links are twisted, and overfilled casings will burst when cooked). As casing fills, lightly prick air bubbles with sausage pricker. Leave at least 6” of empty casing at the end. Repeat with remaining casing and sausage mixture.
• Tie off 1 end of casing, making knot flush with meat. Starting 6” from knot, pinch off a 6” length, squeezing on both sides. Twist link toward you 2 rotations. Starting 6” from link, pinch off another 6” length, squeezing on both sides, and twist link away from you 2 rotations. Repeat, alternating direction of twists, until you can’t make another 6” sausage. Squeeze out extra meat; tie off casing.
• Note: If casing bursts, pinch off on both sides of tear, squeeze out meat in the middle, and tie off casing. Begin again as from the start.
• Prick each sausage link in 3 places with sausage pricker (this helps prevent bursting). Arrange links on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill, uncovered, to dry out casings, at least 12 hours.
• Using kitchen shears, cut casing between links to separate.
• DO AHEAD: Sausage mixture can be made 4 hours ahead (longer and meat will begin to cure); chill. Sausages can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Alternatively, freeze on baking sheet until frozen, then store in resealable plastic freezer bags up to 3 months. Defrost 12 hours in refrigerator before cooking.