Overview
Spanish Fresh Chorizo is the uncooked branch of Spain's chorizo family. Unlike cured chorizo for slicing, it remains moist and is intended for grilling, frying or cooking in stews.
Where it's from
The cut
Identity and terminology
Chorizo is defined by pork and the characteristic use of pimentón and garlic, but Spanish law and regional practice recognise several process forms. The qualifier fresh is essential because the product has not been matured to shelf stability.
Composition and characteristics
Pork and fat are coarsely minced with pimentón, garlic, salt, oregano and sometimes wine. The filling is red, moist and visibly granular, with sweet or hot paprika determining the flavour.
Production and process
The seasoned meat is stuffed into casing and held under refrigeration. It may rest briefly for flavour development but is cooked before consumption.
History and regional forms
Paprika became central to Spanish chorizo after Capsicum peppers arrived from the Americas and developed into regional pimentón industries. Fresh chorizo remained a household and butcher product alongside the better-known cured forms.
Use, storage and related products
It is grilled, fried with cider or wine, crumbled into eggs, or cooked with pulses and potatoes. It differs from Mexican chorizo in its usually simpler pimentón-garlic profile and firmer link structure.
Recipe and cure
This is not a finished recipe. It is a window into how this meat is traditionally cured. Before you follow any process, run it through one of our curing calculators so the salt, cure and timings are right and safe for your own batch.
Make this — the measured Curesmith version →“Make this” opens the same cure as a measured recipe, scaled to your batch.
- Meat
- Pork shoulder
- Cut
- Pork shoulder
- Salt (%)
- 1.8
- Curing salt
- None
- Fermented
- No
- Smoked
- No
- Maturation
- ≤4°C for up to 2 days or freeze
- Basis
- per 1,000 g pork shoulder
- Style
- Fresh Spanish-style pork chorizo; cook before eating
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder100% · 1000 g
- Pork back fat25% · 250 g
- Fine salt1.8% · 22.5 g
- Ground black pepper0.1% · 1.5 g
- Sweet smoked pimentón1% · 12.5 g
- Hot smoked pimentón0.4% · 5 g
- Rubbed oregano0.2% · 2.5 g
- Fresh garlic, crushed0.3% · 4 g
- Dry white wine6% · 75 g
Method
- Chill pork, fat, wine and equipment to 0–3°C.
- Grind pork and fat through 10 mm.
- Whisk salt, pepper, pimentón, oregano and garlic into wine.
- Mix seasoned wine into pork until evenly distributed.
- Stuff into 36 mm casings and form 15 cm links.
- Refrigerate 4–12 hours at 2–4°C.
Safety. Fresh chorizo must remain chilled and be cooked. Red pimentón colour obscures visual assessment of doneness.