Most meat lovers want to savor the deliciousness of the sausage, which is used in different dishes, starting with hot dogs, sausage pasta, tacos, burritos, and so on. Even though the overall process of making this item is almost the same, there are different types of sausages that you can find. Amongst these, the most two major varieties are the longaniza and the chorizo. These two varieties have their origins in two different continents, yet they are popular worldwide. Due to their immense popularity, the argument of longaniza vs. chorizo lingers in the air for too long. That’s the reason why today we will be giving you insights into these two sausage types, how they are prepared, on what levels they are different, and many other unknown facts.
It sounds quite interesting, isn’t it?
Well, if yes, then there’s no point in wasting any time. Let’s delve into the world of two famous sausages- one coming from Europe and the other originating in America’s spice country.
What are sausages?
Ground or minced meat is seasoned with various spices and other ingredients, and then they are rolled around a stick or used in piping bags to prepare a cylindrical structure. This cylindrical structure is tightly made with the meat and contains a limited amount of moisture. These structures are known as the sausages, which are then cooked in different ways for serving in various recipes.
The differences in the types of sausages are due to these following facts:
- The type of seasoning use
- The meat used in the making of the sausage
- The form in which the meat is used
- The way the sausage is cooked
Table of Contents
What Are Longaniza And Chorizo?
Now, since you know so much about sausage meat, let’s start taking our first step towards learning more about longaniza vs. Chorizo. Both these sausages are famous in their respective continents, and also around the world.
Originating in Spain, Longaniza is one of the most regarded sausages in the world. It closely resembles the Portuguese sausage and is used in different cuisines, be it the famous European cuisines or the American cuisines.
In Mexico, the popular sausage version is the Chorizo, which is used in different American, Canadian, and Mexican cuisines.
What Is Longazina Sausage? How Is Longaniza Prepared?
The best way to prepare the Longazina sausage is by following the traditional Spanish method, even when there are many other forms of preparation practiced in famous restaurants worldwide.
Here is a detailed guide to help you make this sausage in your home without any mastery help.
Ingredients
- Ground pork meat weighing five pounds
- Kosher or sea salt, about two to three tablespoons as per the taste
- Two pieces of peeled garlic and chopped into small pieces
- One tablespoon of black peppers, crushed freshly in mortar and pestle
- One tablespoon of ground cumin powder
- Half a cup of Seville orange juice
Method
To understand the basic things about longaniza vs. chorizo, you need to prepare the item in your home correctly.
- Take the ground pork in a bowl, add the salt, garlic, cumin powder, and black pepper. Mix these ingredients and form a paste.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen plastic wrap, and leave it inside the refrigerator overnight. This step is crucial in helping the sausage elements bind together so that chunks wouldn’t come out of the sausage rolls at the time of preparation.
- In the meantime, take the sheep casings and then wash them properly to identify leaks in the present. This will help you avoid unnecessary wastage of the meat when shaping it into the cylindrical sausages.
- Take out the mixture and then add the orange juice and the achiote paste. Mix these ingredients with your hand. But, be careful not to mash the meat since that will destroy the flavor profile.
- You can find some other flavoring agents like Cinnamon powder, chopped onions, ginger paste, chili powder, and even a small teaspoon of lemon juice to the final mix add sourness.
- Fill the meat chunks into the stuffer. Use your fist and knuckles to press down the mixture so that no air bubbles are left in between.
- Close the stuffer and then use the handle to rotate the machine. After giving two to three rotations, you will be able to see the cylindrical sausage coming out from the other end. Tie this end and then continue to roll the stuffer for more sausage cylindrical chain.
- Tie the sausages with a thread at both ends and make sure each piece has the same length. It would help if you hung the Pork Longaniza upside down to allow the meat mixture to lose the excess moisture.
What Is The Preparation Method Of Chorizo?
The next thing we will discuss longaniza vs. chorizo is the preparation method of the Chorizo. This will clear half of your confusion regarding these two sausage versions, which might look similar but are different from each other on so many levels.
Ingredients
- Ground pork meat
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Half a tablespoon of ancho chile powder
- Half a tablespoon of red paprika powder
- Half a tablespoon of the cayenne pepper powder
- One tablespoon of freshly ground cumin powder
- A little bit of freshly ground black pepper
- Smashed or minced garlic, about five to seven cloves
- One teaspoon of oregano herb
Method
The longaniza vs. chorizo contrast can be understood clearly once you know about the Chorizo sausage’s preparation technique. Here are the steps that you need to follow in detail if you want to make the perfect meat item on the first try.
- Take the minced pork meat in a bowl and add the salt, cayenne powder, cumin powder, ancho chile powder, paprika, black pepper powder, and any other spice you feel using. Since it’s the Mexican version of the sausage, you can use fresh chili vegetables to make the dish hotter and spicier.
- Mix every ingredient with your bare hand. Make sure the spices and the meat are well mixed uniformly. Once done, cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for at least four to five hours.
- In the meantime, prepare your sausage grinder and also keep it in the refrigerator. The grinder’s coldness will prevent the warming up of the sausage mix, thereby giving it the perfect cylindrical shape.
- Take both these out from the refrigerator and put the meat into the cone-shaped part of the grinder. Use the stuffer or your knuckles to release the air pressure trapped in between the mixture.
- With one hand, continue to press the stuffer on the meat and, with the other hand, rotate the grinder.
- A small cylindrical head will come out from the other end. Tie this off, and then continue to take out the sausage cylinder. Do not forget to tie every single sausage piece at an equal length.
How Is Longaniza Different From Chorizo?
Learning about longaniza vs. Chorizo can be quite fun since both these similar-looking elements are different in reality. So, let’s discover the truth behind these two sausage varieties, which has caused many arguments in recent years.
- Origin:
Even though there are many different versions of both these sausages, their origins are quite different. Longaniza sausage originated in Spain, where it is still used in various Spanish festivals as one of the main dishes. On the other hand, the Chorizo sausage originated somewhere in Europe, but its primary use comes from the Mexican land. That’s the reason why both these sausages use different spices that are popular in their native regions.
- Meat and type of meat:
For understanding the facts about the Mexican longaniza vs. Chorizo, you need to know first about the meat used. Well, both the sausages are made from pork meat. But, Longaniza is prepared from ground pork shoulders while the Chorizo sausage is made from freshly minced meat. The difference in the type of meat alters the chewiness and texture of the sausages.
- Spices to be used:
The Spanish Sausage Longaniza uses many different spices to enhance the taste profile. These spices are popularly used in European dishes like garlic, paprika powder, Cheville orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vinegar, etc. However, in Chorizo, Mexican flavors are mainly added like minced garlic, fresh cayenne and paprika powder, black peppers, and chili powder.
- Way of cooking the sausage:
Both the meat needs to be cooked to perfection. However, the cooking time is different for the sausages. Longaniza will take less time than the Chorizo since the former contains ground meat and then dried so that the moisture content can lessen in percentage. Also, longaniza is seared in the pan or baked as a whole sausage link. But, with Chorizo, you can prepare smoked sausage by using smoked garlic and paprika.
- Source of the red color of the sausage:
The red color of the Longaniza sausage comes from the Seville orange juice, cayenne powder, and paprika. But, in the Chorizo case, the sausage’s red color comes from garlic, paprika, and the particular kind of chili, which we have mentioned earlier.
- Intensity of the spiciness:
Chorizo comes from the Mexican land and hence is a lot spicier than the Longaniza sausage. This is why you won’t have to add extra hotness to the Chorizo dishes.
Thus, with this, we can wrap the discussion about the Chorizo longaniza difference since we have almost discussed almost everything about these sausages.
In What Dishes Longaniza Are Used?
For understanding longaniza vs. chorizo completely, we will discuss the various dishes you can make with the Longaniza sausage.
- You can serve the sausage links in a fresh or smoked version.
- Empanadas where the sausage is mixed with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, chilies, and small vegetables are then wrapped in the tortillas.
- You can put the sausage slices in a cheese sandwich or a salami sandwich.
- You can also make the Chilean sandwich containing the entire sausage link and is coupled with the chimichurri.
- If you want a complete sausage platter, serve the fried or pan-seared links with rice, greens, asparagus, and some plantains.
- You can also couple it with side dishes like tostones, fries, and even rice with a small lime juice sprinkle.
- You can use the sausage slices and add them to pasta as a protein source in this Italian dish.
What Recipes Can Be Made From Chorizo?
The last thing you will have to know to understand the longaniza vs. chorizo conflict is the list of dishes you can make with the Chorizo sausage.
- Chorizo and shrimp combined Paella.
- Chorizo can be used as a stuffing in the Mexican tacos and coupled with hash browns.
- Potato salad with Chorizo pieces, scallions, spring onions, and the aioli
- Fundilo with egg and Chorizo sausage
- Pan-seared codfish with Chorizo packs
- You can serve grilled clams coupled with the Chorizo sausages as a protein-packed dish.
- American empanadas with the sausage roll and coupled with a cabbage slaw and salsa.
- Using the Chorizo to make chicken roulades coupled with mushrooms, goat cheese, and some herbs
Conclusion
It’s challenging to conclude longaniza vs. chorizo when both these sausages closely resemble each other. This is where today’s discussion will help you since we have brilliantly pointed out the facts that set these two sausage varieties apart from each other. Now, you won’t have any problem with making different dishes with these two sausages, and hence, you will be able to enjoy your meat with no hassle.
FAQs
Can we eat raw chorizo?
You should not eat Chorizo raw, and it should be cooked before you eat it. However, if you get chorizo in the deli case’s cheese, it does not require to be cooked. But getting it from the meat case, it needs to be cooked first.
Does chorizo casing have to be removed?
If we talk about soft chorizo, you do not need to remove the skin and cook it with sausage. If, however, we talk about the cured, and ready to eat chorizo, its skin needs to be removed.
Chorizo has white stuff, what is it?
You might notice a white and powdery mold appearing on the outer side of chorizo. It is not at all harmful. These molds are called ‘bad molds’ and help to push the hairs below through the meat.
Can we use any alternative to chorizo?
You can make use of hot Italian sausage. It is a spicy dry-cured sausage that can play as a substitute for chorizo.
