Mexican Kimchi and Chorizo

I can't wait to have these together! I love anything having to do with cilantro and lime juice with some kind of chili. Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, I love it all! Sally Fallon has a Latin American Sauerkraut recipe in her book, but I switched it up a bit, adding jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice. Here's my version. I used Napa cabbage because I had a lot of it due to a shopping communication error. I'll let you know how it comes out in a few days, when it's a fermented!

• 1 medium Napa cabbage shredded (about 12 loosely packed cups)
• 1 cups carrots, shredded (I used more because I got over-zealous with the grater!)
• 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (if you like biting into pieces of pepper, slice them, by all means!)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 onion, quartered and thinly sliced (again, it's what I had, use more, if you like)
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tbs sea salt
• 4 tbs whey, or 1 additional tbs salt

Toss everything together and pound for 10 minutes as described here, then pack into jars.

Chorizo

I found the recipe for this chorizo here. The recipe in my sausage book didn't have any chili, and I definitely wanted more flavor, so I went searching. I used the next to the last one and have reprinted it below. I used a combination of regular chili powder and pasilla chili, which has a wonderful fruity quality. I'm letting it marinate now and will let you know how it tastes when it's done!

Chorizo Mexicano

Serves 8
Ingredients 

2	lb	Pork; lean, coarse grind
1/4	lb	Pork fat; chop fine
2	Tbsp	Paprika
2	Tbsp	Chili powder
1	tsp	Pepper, black
1/2	tsp	Cinnamon, ground
1/2	tsp	Cloves, ground
1/4	tsp	Coriander, ground
1/4	tsp	Ginger; grated
1	tsp	Oregano, dried, crushed
1	tsp	Cumin, ground
2	tsp	Salt
6		Garlic cloves; crushed
1/2	cup	Vinegar, white
1/2	cup	Sherry, dry (can substitute brandy)
1		Sausage casing (optional)

  Directions

Combine pork meat and fat thoroughly. Add paprika, chili powder, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, oregano, cumin, garlic, salt, vinegar and sherry (brandy may be substituted). Mix well with hands.  

Mixture may be stored in a crock in cool place for twenty-four hours, or better, for 2 or 3 days. Form into patties and saute.  

Alternatively the mixture may be forced into sausage casing and hung to dry in a cool place. This is best done in cold weather and hung in a breezy place help with drying.

Update: The chorizo had too much sweet spice, for my taste. I'd make it again with less sweet and more hot. The vinegar added a nice tartness. I'd also add a tad more fat. I didn't add as much as in the recipe and it was a bit on the dry side.