When I first encountered green chorizo over four decades ago in the high mountain city of Toluca, a couple hour drive southwest of Mexico City, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Chorizo was supposed to be the color of cranberries, I’d been taught, the ground meat stained with red chile and energized with spices and vinegar. How was this Toluca anomaly green?
All the chorizo vendors I asked simply said that the red chile is replaced with green. But back in my kitchen, I quickly discovered that it’s not that simple. Yes, there are green chiles in a good chorizo verde, but there are herbs, too. Cilantro is delicious, of course, but parsley promises a darker, truer color. And so does green coloring, which a lot of Mexican carniceros use to counteract the bleaching effects of chorizo’s necessary vinegar. But coloring isn’t in my pantry, so I opt for spinach powder instead. Besides, I like to keep spinach powder around for beautifully green homemade pasta.
If the freshness of green flavors appeals to you as an alternative to the comforting embrace of classic red chorizo, you’ll love these tacos, especially with a smear of beans, slice of avocado and spoonful of salsa. And, if you’re traveling through Mexico, don’t be surprised to find chorizo verde on offer nowadays. People throughout the country have become smitten with this Toluca original.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large fresh poblano chile
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
- 1 or 2 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 medium bunch cilantro (tough lower stems cut off, the leafy parts roughly chopped)
- 1 medium bunch parsley (tough lower stems cut off, the leafy parts roughly chopped)
- 1 1/2 pounds ground pork (you’ll need pork that’s a little fatty—25 to 30%—and preferably coarsely ground)
- 3 tablespoons spinach powder (available online and at well-stocked grocery stores)
- 2 tablespoons light-flavored vinegar (I like rice wine vinegar here)
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 16 warm corn tortillas,
- 1 generous cup Frijoles Refritos (recipe linked above)
- 1 large avocado , cut into 16 slices
- 1 generous cup salsa, I like salsa verde (recipe linked above)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the flavorings. Roast the poblano chile directly over a gas flame or 4 inches below a very hot electric broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes for the broiler. Cool until handleable, rub off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the stem and seed pod. Quickly rinse to remove any seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop and scoop into a food processor, along with the garlic, serrano(s), cilantro and parsley. Pulse until uniformly chopped, then run the machine until you have a coarse puree, scraping down the sides until you have a coarse puree.
Finish the chorizo verde. In a large bowl, combine the pork with the green seasonings, spinach powder, vinegar, and salt—your hand is the most efficient utensil for working the seasonings thoroughly into the meat. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the tacos. Honestly, making this a day ahead improves its flavor, but it can hold for several days (or freeze for several months).
Cook the chorizo, make the tacos. Break up the chorizo as you transfer it to a 12-inch non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. If it doesn’t begin to render fat right away, stir in a little oil. Cook, turning frequently and breaking up any clumps, until the meat looks cooked through (there will be browned edges), 8 to 10 minutes. To make the tacos, smear a little beans on a tortilla, top with a scoop of chorizo and a slice of avocado, then add salsa. It’s a beautiful mouthful.
