The classic taste of Chamorro sausage is achote and vinegar with a good dose of garlic. You might even think you’re eating Churisos Españot….do we like Churisos Españot because it tastes like Chamorro sausage, or do we like Chamorro sausage cuz it tastes like Churisos Españot? Either way, both are yummy! Using the entire half cup of vinegar in this recipe might make you think it’s too strong when you are taste testing the sausage. However, it’s perfect for eggs and rice, or on top of alȧguan. Alȧguan is rice boiled to a porridge like consistency then flavored with coconut milk. Here's a link to the alȧguan recipe. If you want Chamorro sausage to have that Latin flavor, add Mexican oregano (different taste and aroma from Italian oregano), cumin, and coriander
The trick to yummy Chamorro sausage is making it crispy!
INGREDIENTS
Set 1
2 pounds or about 1 kilo high-fat ground pork
Scant ½ cup or 118 milliliters white distilled vinegar
2 packets or 20 total grams achote powder
1 tablespoon or 18 grams salt
2 teaspoons or 2.33 grams garlic powder, the granulated not superfine
2 teaspoons 2.33 grams onion powder, granulated not superfine
2 teaspoons or 2.33 grams ground black pepper
Set 2
2 tablespoons or about 30 milliliters rendered lard or your choice of oil
½ cup or 15.5 grams minced yellow onion
¾ cup or 102 grams minced garlic
Set 3
Donne’
Tools: large bowl, large frying pan, medium frying pan, wooden spoon or large rubber spatula for mixing, spatula for frying
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the raw ground pork with all (or half) the vinegar, achote, and dry spices. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine the mixture – else your hand will be quite colored. The pork will absorb the vinegar as you stir. Set aside.
Heat the lard or oil on medium heat in a large frying pan. Sautee the onions till soft. Add garlic and sautee for a minute.
Add the ground pork mixture and crumble it as you cook it. Cook about 10 minutes then add a little bit of donne’ or hot pepper. Continue to sautee until the red-colored pork is browned, cooked through, and the meat has reabsorbed some of the moisture that seeped out.
Taste and add more donne’ if needed, and the rest of the vinegar if you want it stronger. Transfer to a bowl.
Heat a smaller frying pan, adding a splash of oil if desired. Once hot, spread out a thin layer of sausage and let crisp for a few minutes. Check that it has crisped then flip or stir to crisp more.
This is also delish with plain white rice, eggs, sauteed onions, and even gollai ȧppan!
Store leftover sausage in fridge. When you reheat leftover Chamorro sausage, first heat a bit of oil in a frying pan just over medium heat, and crisp as directed above.
Effective March 2021, PaulaQ will begin replacing Canola and vegetable/seed oils in recipes with pure lard from Reverence Farm, coconut oil, and avocado oil.
