Recipe: Fresh Chorizo Tacos (with Homemade Chorizo)

FRESH CHORIZO TACOS

FOR THE HOMEMADE CHORIZO:
1 pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, with plenty of fat*
4 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons chopped white onion
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons ground guajillo or New Mexico chile
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried whole Mexican oregano, rubbed to a powder
1 teaspoon crushed hot chile
3 tablespoons white vinegar, preferably Heinz
FOR SERVING:
2 tablespoons canola oil
Fresh corn tortillas, warmed
Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream
Diced white onion
Chopped cilantro
Shredded iceberg lettuce or green cabbage

TO MAKE THE CHORIZO:
Set up a meat grinder with the finest disk. Cut meat into cubes. Grind once, then grind again. For a very fine, almost pasty texture, grind meat a third time. (Or ask your butcher to do this for you.)

In a mini food chopper or food processor, pulse together garlic, onion and salt to a paste. Blend in pepper, ground chile, cumin, oregano and crushed chile. Blend in vinegar. Scrape into a bowl. Add pork; mix well. Knead until well mixed. The sausage may be used right away, but it tastes better after a night in the refrigerator.

TO SERVE:
Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry chorizo until browned and crumbled into small pieces.

Top each tortilla with a dollop of crema and sprinkle with chorizo, onion, cilantro and lettuce.

*Beef, turkey or chicken thigh meat may be substituted for the pork.

Serves 6 to 8
Source: Baja! Cooking on the Edge by Deborah M. Schneider