Chorizo does not need much help, but it can go in more directions than most people give it credit for.
You can grill it, simmer it, fold it into a stew, or crisp it with potatoes and turn it into one of the messier sandwiches you will make at home.
These pinwheels are substantial. Depending on how many people you’re feeding, one could easily give you enough chorizo to try a few different preparations.
We’ve also stocked the pantry with many of the ingredients Cam uses below, so you can pick up the chorizo and build the rest of the meal while you’re here.
Here are five ways Chef Cam would cook Beauregard’s heritage pork chorizo.
1. Chorizo and Eggs
This is the one to make when you want breakfast to feel like more than breakfast.
Remove the casing if needed, break the chorizo into a skillet, and cook it until browned. Add beaten eggs and stir gently until just set, or leave the eggs whole and fry them directly in the rendered fat.
However you cook the eggs, keep scrambled eggs soft or the yolks runny. They’ll mingle with the rendered fat and coat the chorizo like a sauce.
Serve it with toast, tortillas, or crispy potatoes.
You’ll need:
- Chorizo
- Eggs
- Toast or tortillas
- Potatoes, optional
- Hot sauce, optional
From our pantry*: Finish it with Gringo Trew hot sauce or a pinch of Palm Beach Salt Co.
2. Chorizo al Vino Tinto
This Spanish preparation turns a few simple ingredients into an appetizer that tastes like you worked much harder than you did.
Cut the chorizo links into bite-sized pieces and brown them gently in olive oil. Add sliced garlic, a bay leaf, a few peppercorns, and enough red wine to come about an inch up the pan.
Simmer everything uncovered until the chorizo is cooked and the wine reduces into a thick, glossy sauce.
Serve it in a shallow bowl as an appetizer or spoon it over toasted bread so none of the sauce goes to waste.
You’ll need:
- Chorizo
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Bay leaf
- Peppercorns
- Red wine
- Good bread
From our pantry*: Use Olio Verde extra-virgin olive oil for browning the chorizo and finishing the dish.
3. Chorizo on the Plancha with Peppers
For the fastest preparation, cook the chorizo on a plancha or heavy skillet with Padrón or shishito peppers.
Bell peppers and onions work well too.
Let the sausage and vegetables develop some color, then finish everything with smoked pimentón, lemon, and crunchy salt.
This works as an appetizer, a casual dinner, or part of a larger grilled spread.
You’ll need:
- Chorizo
- Padrón, shishito, or bell peppers
- Onion, optional
- Smoked pimentón
- Lemon
- Crunchy salt
From our pantry*: Finish it with a pinch of Palm Beach Salt Co. for the crunchy salt Cam calls for.
4. Chorizo and Beans
Chorizo brings enough seasoning and richness to make a simple pot of beans feel like a complete meal.
Brown pieces of chorizo in a pot. Add chopped garlic, onion, and rosemary and cook over medium heat for about five minutes.
Add Casa Marrazzo tomatoes, Spanish paprika, broth, and your beans. Bartolini Umbrian chickpeas work especially well here. The Umbrian lentils are another option, but will create a softer, more stew-like result.
Canned beans make this a quick dinner. Soaked dried beans work too, but give them enough time to simmer until tender.
Simmer gently until everything is tender, then finish each bowl with a drizzle of Olio Verde extra-virgin olive oil.
You’ll need:
- Chorizo
- Garlic
- Onion
- Rosemary
- Canned tomatoes
- Spanish paprika
- Broth
- Canned or soaked dried beans
- Good olive oil
From our pantry*: Casa Marrazzo tomatoes, Bartolini chickpeas or lentils, Bauer vegetable broth, and Olio Verde olive oil are all on the shelf, so you can pick up most of the pot while you’re here.
5. Chorizo and Potato Roll
This is not the neat option. This is more of an “it’s 11:45 AM, and I need something more savory than a ham-and-cheese sandwich” option.
Crisp the chorizo on a flat top or skillet with soft boiled potatoes. As the chorizo renders, use some of the fat to toast a soft but sturdy roll.
Roughly chop the chorizo and potatoes together and pile them into the toasted bread.
Cam finishes his with shaved iceberg, thinly sliced tomato, a drizzle of sour cream, avocado, and a mild crumbly cheese.
Roll it tight. It is still going to be messy.
You’ll need:
- Chorizo
- Boiled potatoes
- A soft, hearty roll
- Shaved iceberg
- Tomato
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Mild crumbly cheese
Start with Good Chorizo
Each of these preparations is simple, but the quality of the chorizo makes the difference. Ours starts with Heritage Berkshire pork butt, ground in-house and seasoned by hand with chopped garlic, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and kosher salt. Kyle stuffs it into high-quality casing and coils each one into the pinwheels you see in the case. No fillers, no mystery ingredients, and no shortcuts.
Stop by Beauregard’s in Winfield Plaza for one of Kyle’s house-made heritage pork chorizo pinwheels. Tell us which version you plan to make, and we’ll help you pull together the rest.
*Pantry selection changes and is available while supplies last.
