Chorizo en Sidra

Chorizo en Sidra in Madrid, Spain at a lovely little tapas place

The BF's favorite dish!

Spanish Chorizo is very different from Mexican Chorizo. While I like both of them very much, I don't think you can substitute Mexican for Spanish Chorizo and get anything of Spanish dish. 

Spanish Chorizo has such a distinct taste and mouth feel... that I wouldn't want to substitute.  But, if you cannot find it and do not wish to order online,   Cooks Thesaurus suggests kielbasa, pepperoni,linguisa (hotter) or other dry-cured pork sausage as substitutions... and you can have a go with it if you want.  Just note, they say you can sub mexican chorizo as well, and I can tell you that would not work at all for this recipe.

So what are the differences between Spanish and Mexican Chorizo?

Spanish Chorizo:

• lower fat content
• more finely ground
• deep red in color because they contain pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
• seasoned with sweet paprika and garlic
• cured, rather hard like pepperoni or salami

Mexican Chorizo:

• higher fat content, chunkier ground
• seasoned with chili peppers and vinegar
• not cured, more like breakfast sausages in consistency

Chorizo en Sidra

Chorizo in Cider 

• 3 teaspoons butter or ghee
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika or pimenton (if you can get it)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 chorizo, sliced diagonally (I do thin slices, since it cooks faster and the cider melds into the meat better but you can do as you wish)
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add onion and cook until translucent.  Add paprika and cook for a minute.

Increase heat to medium and add the cider, stock and bay leaf to the pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add Chorizo and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add vinegar and stir.  Add parsley, season.  Serve.

Note: for the cider - if you can get Spanish cider, brilliant!  However, if not, I've used Woodchuck Granny Apple Draft Cider and it works out well.  It has the bite that some of the sweeter hard ciders don't - which is what you are looking for - something with a tang.