Category: My videos

Homemade Mexican Chorizo

I love a good breakfast burrito, and my absolute favorite is an egg and chorizo breakfast burrito. There’s just something about the rich, spicy flavor of chorizo that pairs so perfectly with scrambled eggs. Today, I’m excited to share with you how to make Mexican chorizo from scratch. This chorizo recipe is a great guideline that you can adjust to suit your own tastes, so feel free to get creative!

The History of Chorizo

Chorizo is a beloved sausage with a long history that dates back to the Iberian Peninsula, where it originated in Spain and Portugal. Spanish chorizo is typically a cured, smoked sausage made with pork and seasoned with smoked paprika, giving it its characteristic red color.

When chorizo made its way to Mexico during the Spanish colonization, it underwent a transformation. Unlike its Spanish counterpart, Mexican chorizo is fresh and uncured, meaning it must be cooked before eating. The seasoning also evolved, with Mexican chorizo incorporating local spices and ingredients such as chili peppers, vinegar, and garlic.

One of the wonderful things about Mexican chorizo is that there isn’t just one set recipe. It can be made in many ways, depending on the region and the cook’s personal preferences. In Northern Mexico, you might find chorizo that’s spicier and richer, while in other regions, the flavor profile could be milder or more herbaceous. Personally, I love my chorizo with a bit more oregano, cumin, and red pepper flakes, but the recipe I’m sharing today is meant to be flexible, allowing you to adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground meat of choice (pork, chicken, turkey, or beef)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Prepare the Spice Mix: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cloves, and black pepper. Stir until well combined.
  2. Mix with Ground Meat: Add the ground meat to the bowl with the spices. Pour in the apple cider vinegar. Using your hands or a sturdy spoon, mix everything together until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
  3. Marinate: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the chorizo mixture for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. This allows the flavors to meld together.
  4. Cook the Chorizo: To cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo mixture and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until fully cooked and browned, about 8-10 minutes.

Serving Size and Nutritional Value

  • Serving Size: This recipe makes approximately 4 servings.
  • Calories per Serving: Approximately 250-300 calories, depending on the type of meat used.
  • Protein: 15-20g
  • Fat: 18-22g
  • Carbohydrates: 2-3g

Storage and Shelf Life

Homemade chorizo can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. When freezing, consider portioning the chorizo into smaller amounts so you can easily defrost just what you need.

Variations

As mentioned earlier, this recipe is incredibly versatile. While traditional Mexican chorizo is often made with pork, you can substitute ground chicken, turkey, or beef if you prefer a leaner option or different flavor profile. You can also play around with the spice levels by adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes or adding other spices you enjoy.

Summary

Mexican chorizo is a flavorful and versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed in a variety of dishes, but it shines especially in breakfast burritos paired with scrambled eggs. You can also use it in tacos, quesadillas, or even as a topping for nachos. It pairs wonderfully with warm tortillas, fresh salsa, and a refreshing drink like horchata or a cold beer. Whether you stick to this recipe or make it your own, homemade chorizo is sure to add a delicious kick to your meals!

Mexican Chorizo

Homemade French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup is a favorite in my family.  In fact, one of my daughters always loves to have it for her birthday.  One of the best places to get it was a restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado called Canino’s.  The restaurant recently closed after more than 40 years of business when the owner retired, but I can still taste that soup every time I think of it.  French Onion soup is surprising simple to make and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry.  So, let’s get out the onions and make some soup!

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter

4 Onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 fresh thyme sprigs

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup red wine

3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 quarts beef broth

1 baguette, sliced

½ pound grated Gruyere cheese

Directions:

  1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. 
  3. Add wine and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated (about 5 minutes)
  4. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
  5. Dust the onions with flour and give them a stir.  Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for about 5 minutes. 
  6. Add beef broth and bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Salt and Pepper to taste.
  8. Preheat the broiler and arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and cover with the gruyere and broil until bubbly and brown.
  9. Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
  10. Enjoy!
Homemade French Onion Soup

You can purchase a Dutch oven to make French Onion Soup at Amazon.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy.

How To Make A Painkiller Cocktail

The classic Painkiller that most of us know is the Pusser’s Painkiller.  Named for the Pusser’s brand of rum used in the drink.  According to Pusser’s own website the recipe for the Painkiller was inspired by Daphne Henderson, who owned the Soggy Dollar Bar at White Bay on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.

The bar is famous for inventing the Painkiller and also because there is no dock, so the usual way in is to swim. Which naturally gets your dollars get wet, hence the name “Soggy Dollar Bar.”

The CEO of Pussers, Charles Tobias, was a patron of the Soggy Dollar Bar where the Painkiller was his favorite drink.  Eventually, he finally worked out the recipe on a “4-1-1-1” ratio—four parts pineapple, one part cream of coconut and one part orange juice adding Pusser’s Rum to suit.

Pusser’s started promoting the Painkiller and eventually it became known as Pusser’s Painkiller.  Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

2 ounces Pusser’s rum

4 ounces pineapple juice

1 ounce orange juice

1 ounce cream of coconut

Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

  1. Add liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
  2. Pour in a big glass filled with ice.  Grate fresh nutmeg on top.
  3. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.
  4. Enjoy killing the pain.
How to make a Painkiller cocktail

Bottlenose Dolphin Strand Feeding in South Carolina

The amazing Bottlenose Dolphins of South Carolina have adopted a unique way of hunting Fish called strand feeding. Working in groups of between two and six dolphins to create a wave to force the fish out of the water. The dolphins follow the fish onto the shore, stranding themselves briefly, to eat up their prey. While initially documented in South Carolina and Georgia, strand feeding has also been observed in Louisiana, Texas, Baja California, Ecuador, and Australia. This video shows the dolphins of Seabrook Island, South Carolina strand feeding at Captain Sam’s Inlet in a rare close up sighting.

Bottleneck Dolphin Strand Feeding

For more information on strand feeding check out these resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottlenose_dolphin

https://www.townofseabrookisland.org/dolphin-education-program.html

Strand Feeding on Seabrook Island

Better than Olive Garden Alfredo!

Alfredo is one of life’s great comfort foods. Surprisingly, it is super simple to make and you can create a fettuccine alfredo meal in just 20 minutes that tastes even better than the alfredo you get at the Olive Garden.

Ingredients:

½ stick of butter (8 tbsp)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup grated Romano cheese

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

Pinch salt

1 pound fettuccine noodles

Directions:

  1. Fill large pot with water and preheat it to boil the fettuccine noodles.  When the pot of water starts boiling add the pasta to the water and cook it according to directions.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat.  Add the minced garlic to the melted butter and cook for one minute.
  3. Whisk in the flout to the melted butter and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
  4. Add the heavy cream and continue to stir while the mixture comes up to a light boil.  Reduce the heat and stir as it thickens. 
  5. Stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses into the butter and heavy cream.
  6. Add the white pepper and salt.
  7. Drain the pasta and mix it into the alfredo sauce.
  8. Plate the pasta with alfredo sauce and garnish with parsley and/or add chicken if desired.
  9. Enjoy!
Better than Olive Garden Alfredo!