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Pork - Smoked Paprika - Garlic - Salt

10 August 2011

Pork - Smoked Paprika - Garlic - Salt

That's it! That's all that goes into this amazing product from southeastern Spain. Fresh pork, garlic, salt and the most iconic ingredient of the region - smoked paprika, or Pimenton de la Vera.
It's hard to overestimate the importance of chorizo in the cooking of this region of Spain. If you strolled into a tapas bar in Rioja or Vera, you'd likely see a dozen tapas taking advantage of the smoky, spicy flavor of this ubiquitous sausage. Omelets, beans, stews, salads, even simply speared on a toothpick, this cured sausage is Spain on a plate!

After nearly 10 years of enjoying this product, it's hard to imagine that there was a time when it simply wasn't available in the US.  In 1998, the US Department of Agriculture struck an agreement with Spain to allow the products from just one producer, Palacios, into the United States.  A few years later, the first shipment of Palacios Chorizo arrived in the US and our paella has never been the same!   

We'd like to take this opportunity to clear up any misconceptions about this product...we get lots of questions on it, so here are some answers!

Q. Is it ready to eat? 
A. Yes, the chorizo from Palacios is fully dry-cured and ready to eat. It's wonderful sliced into discs and served with cheeses like Manchego or a creamy goat cheese.

Q. Can I cook with it?
A. Yes. What makes this product so special is how versatile it is. Use it to flavor paella, stews, beans or saute with olive oil and vegetables like asparagus or potatoes. And you simply can't beat it with eggs - a few slices in a non-stick pan over medium heat, cooked until sizzling, with a few eggs cracked amid the crispy chorizo and spicy fat...perfection. 

Q. Does it contain nitrates/nitrites?
A. No, it does not. Because the fresh sausages are fully dried, they don't require preservatives of any kind.

Q. Does it need to be refrigerated?
A. No, it does not. Inside the bag, the chorizo will keep for months. Once you open it and slice it, keep it in the refrigerator for maximum shelf-life. 

Q. What is the difference between the Sweet and Hot Chorizo?
A. The sweet chorizo is made with the sweet pimenton, while the hot is made with the hot pimenton. The difference isn't enormous and the hot isn't super spicy. The difference between the two pimenton is that the hot has more of the seeds of the chile ground into it.

Order the Sweet or Hot Chorizo from Palacios now for $9.00 or order both for $15.00

Queso Fundido con Chorizo

serves 6 - 8

This is not cheese dip as you may be thinking...it's better! This needs to be served immediately after it comes out of the oven, so make sure your guests are hungry! 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil  
  • 1 length of Palacios Chorizo, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 poblano peppers, sliced into _ inch strips
  • 1 1/2 pounds of cheese, shredded (we like Manchego, but Monterey Jack will work just fine)
  • tortilla chips, bread cubes, blanched green beans and cauliflower or anything you think would be made better being dipped in spicy, bubbling cheese 

 

* Note - this recipe works best with a cast-iron pan, but any stovetop-safe AND oven-safe pan will work.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

In a cold pan, place the olive oil and the chorizo slices. Place over medium-high heat. When sizzling, stir and flip the chorizo, being sure to brown both sides. When both sides are brown, remove to a paper towed lined plate.

In the chorizo oil, saute the poblanos until softened, 5 - 7 minutes. Meanwhile, dice 4 to 5 of the chorizo slices into small cubes.

When the peppers are softened, add the diced chorizo and begin adding cheese directly to the pan, one handful at a time. When all the cheese is incorporated and melted, place the pan in the oven. When all of the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, remove the pan and serve IMMEDIATELY with the slices of chorizo and your assorted dippers.

NEW - 2010 Antara Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Just $15.00 for a 500 ml. bottle!

We think every producer, whether they make panettone or olive oil, has a story worth sharing. At Market Hall Foods, we try our best to represent the product AND the producer, because without one there wouldn't be the other.

The story of the Coselva is a rich one with a long history. Around 1900, small groups of farmers banded together in the northern Spanish region of Tarragona to form what we would now call a union. Their aim was to protect the rights of workers, but also to ensure they could stay abreast of evolving industrial technology. But World War II ripped the Coselva to shreds and it wasn't until the 1950s that they reformed into what we see today.  Today, the Coselva exists as a sort of co-op; independent farmers working as a unit to produce the best agricultural products like hazelnuts, marcona almonds, dried fruit and of course, the arbequina olive. From this tiny brown olive, they produce one of their signature items, Antara.

This exquisite extra virgin olive oil is the only 100% arbequina olive oil we carry. One of the hallmarks of an olive oil pressed from arbequina is the almond essence. With Antara, that essence becomes a strong component of the flavor - the aroma out of the bottle is of almond and the flavor has a pronounced green, fresh almond note. There's a gentle floral, fruity quality to the oil in the finish which makes it a natural match with seafood. Try a splash over a filet of wild salmon off of the grill. We also love this with, you guessed it, chorizo. It has enough flavor to hold up to the spice and smoke - drizzle it over a pan of gently warmed chorizo to serve with cheese, bread and wine.

Because the farmers work collectively and share profits, we're able to bring you this incredible product at a price that seems, well, just silly. Since we've been working with the Coselva for many years, we like to think of it as a family discount. Now you can too...

Order a bottle of Antara for your pantry now for $15.00