Chorizo al Vino Tinto
Chapter 3: Hot Tapas
If you want your kitchen to feel like a packed tapas bar at eight o'clock on a Friday, this is the dish. It is culinary alchemy: robust Rioja and smoky, paprika-laced pork fat aggressively boiled down into a sticky, glossy glaze. The secret to pulling this off while actually enjoying your own party is restaurant-style prep. You will poach the sausages and reduce the wine hours ahead, then hit the chilled chorizo with high heat right before service. It hits the table sizzling, smelling of garlic and pimentón de la Vera, absolutely demanding a heel of crusty bread.
Before you start
Combine the whole chorizo, garlic, bay leaves, and red wine in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a bubble over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 30 minutes to render the pimentón-infused fat.
Remove the cooked sausages from the liquid and chill them.
Let them cool slightly, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge; chilling makes them incredibly easy to slice cleanly later.
Reduce the remaining wine and rendered fat into a thick glaze.
Turn the heat up to medium-high, whisk in the honey, and boil aggressively until the liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup of bubbling syrup, then discard the bay leaves and refrigerate the glaze.
Ingredients
- Spanish chorizo fresco or semicurado1 lb
- dry Spanish red wine2 cup
- Spanish extra-virgin olive oil1 tbsp
- garlic cloves3 large
- dried bay leaves2 med
- honey1 tbsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1 tbsp
- rustic sourdough or baguette1 large loaf
Method
- 01
Slice the chilled chorizo on a bias into 1/2-inch coins.
- 02
Sear the chorizo aggressively in hot olive oil.
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chorizo in a single layer and sear hard for 1 to 2 minutes per side to build a caramelized crust.
- 03
Emulsify the sizzling sausage with the glaze.
Turn the heat down to medium, pour the reserved wine reduction into the skillet, and toss rapidly for 60 to 90 seconds until the thick syrup binds with the freshly rendered fat.
- 04
Plate immediately in a pre-warmed terracotta cazuela or shallow bowl.
Scatter with chopped parsley, carry it to the table while it is still steaming, and serve with the thick-cut bread to drag through the sticky red wine sauce.
Notes
Sourcing the right chorizo is entirely non-negotiable.
You must use Spanish chorizo fresco (raw) or semicurado (semi-cured). Do not use Mexican chorizo, which will dissolve into a greasy soup, and do not use fully cured Spanish charcuterie chorizo, which turns into pencil erasers when boiled.
Use a wine you would actually drink.
A dry, medium-to-full-bodied Spanish red like Rioja or Ribera del Duero is ideal, though a Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec will work in a pinch. Avoid cooking wines or sweet dessert wines, which will turn the reduction into candy.