OAXACAN CHILI-SPICED SAUSAGE

MAKES ABOUT 12 SAUSAGES

THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT making sausage at home is that you can control the level of spice and seasoning, and here, in our homage to a spicy chorizo, that’s truer than ever. A robust, slightly tangy sausage, you’ve got the possibility for serious heat here thanks to the cayenne and chili oil, but you could also scale back and test the waters before fully diving in. The beauty is in the tweaking, and in making it a little bit different each time—until you get it just right. Because the recipe calls for a good bit of chili oil, when the sausage is ground down, a lot of those oils are released and help to flavor whatever you’re adding it to. Might I suggest casseroles, soups, and stews, or morning scrambles and breakfast burritos? Please note that our sausage recipes do require some special equipment and cooking instructions, which you can learn more about in Making Great Sausage at Home (here).

3 cups Grain Meat Grind (here)

VEGETABLE MIXTURE

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, ¼-inch diced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo

12 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable base

DRY MIXTURE

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

LIQUID MIXTURE

¾ cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

FINAL ADDITION

1¼ cups vital wheat gluten

EQUIPMENT

½ length sausage casing (about 5 inches still compressed; see note here) or 24 inches aluminum foil or waxed paper

24 inches butcher’s twine

Sausage stuffer or sausage stuffer attachment

1. Place the grind in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and add the rest of the vegetable mixture. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. Remove from the heat and cool in the fridge. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, add them to the grind in the mixing bowl.

3. Combine the dry mixture ingredients in a small bowl, then combine with the grind mixture. Toss to coat thoroughly.

4. Whisk together the liquid mixture in a small bowl and combine with the grind mixture, stirring together with a large spoon. Add the vital wheat gluten and combine fully with your hands.

5. Extrude the sausage into the casing, tying it off with the butcher’s twine. (Alternatively, see “Making Great Sausage at Home,” here, if you do not have casing.) The sausages should not be stuffed too tightly, or else they will burst during the cooking process.

6. Steam the sausages for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to cool.

7. When the sausages are cool enough to handle, carefully remove the casing, and store the sausages in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge until ready to use.

CHEF’S NOTE: Chili oil is renowned for staining cutting boards, so don’t use your very favorite board to prep this sausage.