Grinding Bay Leaves

Goomba38 <Goomba38@comcast . net > wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> The Rick Bayless recipe for chorizo seasoning I have does
>> not include ground bay leaves.

> From "Mexico-One Plate at a Time" page 26
>Chorizo Mexicano
>
>1.5 pounds lean boneless pork shoulder..
>8 ounces pork fat
>12 medium dried ancho chiles...
>2 bay leaves
>1.5 tsp cinnamon, pref fresh ground Mexican canela
>1/8 tsp cloves, pref fresh ground
>1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
>Thyme and marjoram (1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried)
>Salt
>1/4 cup cider vinegar

Yes, significantly different from my notes of a Bayless chorizo
recipe but I did not keep track of which book it came from:

1 oz dry Chili Ancho
1 oz dry Chili Pasilla
1/4 t Coriander Seeds
1/2 Cinnamon stick
1/8 t cloves
3/4 t Oregano
1/3 t black pepper
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t ginger
2 T paprika
1 t salt
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup cider vinegar


Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
> Goomba38 <Goomba38@comcast . net > wrote:
>
>> Steve Pope wrote:
>
>>> The Rick Bayless recipe for chorizo seasoning I have does
>>> not include ground bay leaves.
>
>> From "Mexico-One Plate at a Time" page 26
>> Chorizo Mexicano
>>
>> 1.5 pounds lean boneless pork shoulder..
>> 8 ounces pork fat
>> 12 medium dried ancho chiles...
>> 2 bay leaves
>> 1.5 tsp cinnamon, pref fresh ground Mexican canela
>> 1/8 tsp cloves, pref fresh ground
>> 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
>> Thyme and marjoram (1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried)
>> Salt
>> 1/4 cup cider vinegar
>
> Yes, significantly different from my notes of a Bayless chorizo
> recipe but I did not keep track of which book it came from:
>
> 1 oz dry Chili Ancho
> 1 oz dry Chili Pasilla
> 1/4 t Coriander Seeds
> 1/2 Cinnamon stick
> 1/8 t cloves
> 3/4 t Oregano
> 1/3 t black pepper
> 1/8 t nutmeg
> 1/8 t ginger
> 2 T paprika
> 1 t salt
> 3 cloves garlic
> 1/3 cup cider vinegar


The recipe I'm using the chorizo in is his Queso Fundido con choizos y
rajas, and it only required four ounces. I have this large container now
of chorizo to use and abuse in other ways. I think I'm going to take
some and add garlic, oregano, nutmeg and corinander to (per your recipe)
and doctor it up. I felt it should have garlic when i made it but wanted
to try it as he intended for this queso fundido. At least the first time :)

On Sun, 11 May 2008 14:01:00 -0400, Goomba38 <Goomba38@comcast . net >
wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:
>
>> The Rick Bayless recipe for chorizo seasoning I have does
>> not include ground bay leaves.
>>
>> Steve
>
> From "Mexico-One Plate at a Time" page 26
>Chorizo Mexicano
>
>1.5 pounds lean boneless pork shoulder..
>8 ounces pork fat
>12 medium dried ancho chiles...
>2 bay leaves
>1.5 tsp cinnamon, pref fresh ground Mexican canela
>1/8 tsp cloves, pref fresh ground
>1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
>Thyme and marjoram (1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried)
>Salt
>1/4 cup cider vinegar
>
>I was surprised by there being no garlic though! It seems to need some...

I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.

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sf wrote:
>
> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.

Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
chile flavor.

On 2008-05-11, Mark Thorson <nospam@sonic . net > wrote:

> Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
> chile flavor.

A common trait of chiles.

nb

On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:09:54 -0700, Mark Thorson <nospam@sonic . net >
wrote:

>sf wrote:
>>
>> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.
>
>Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
>chile flavor.

I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
pounds of meat.

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remove the smile first

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:09:54 -0700, Mark Thorson <nospam@sonic . net >
> wrote:
>
>> sf wrote:
>>> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.
>> Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
>> chile flavor.
>
> I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
> pounds of meat.
>
well, add the other half pound of fat too.
It works. What can I say?
(and unlike many commercial chorizo.. . it doesn't contain salivary and
lymph glands. Ugh.)

"Goomba38" <Goomba38@comcast . net > wrote in message
news:H_qdnbzWV9kvxLrVnZ2dnUVZ_rHinZ2d@comcast . com ...
> sf wrote:
>> On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:09:54 -0700, Mark Thorson <nospam@sonic . net >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> sf wrote:
>>>> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.
>>> Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
>>> chile flavor.
>>
>> I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
>> pounds of meat.
>>
> well, add the other half pound of fat too.
> It works. What can I say?
> (and unlike many commercial chorizo.. . it doesn't contain salivary and
> lymph glands. Ugh.)

That's what gives it the good flavor.

weedhopper wrote:

>> well, add the other half pound of fat too.
>> It works. What can I say?
>> (and unlike many commercial chorizo.. . it doesn't contain salivary and
>> lymph glands. Ugh.)
>
> That's what gives it the good flavor.
>
>
I can't imagine wanting to eat it to find out if it has good flavor!?
Salivary and lymph glands are just garbage to me. Ugh.
They aren't universal or a "given" in chorizo.

weedhopper <whopper@verizon . com > wrote:

>"Goomba38" <Goomba38@comcast . net > wrote in message

>> sf wrote:

>>> I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
>>> pounds of meat.

>> well, add the other half pound of fat too.
>> It works. What can I say?
>> (and unlike many commercial chorizo.. . it doesn't contain salivary and
>> lymph glands. Ugh.)

>That's what gives it the good flavor.

Yeah! Well, partly. The S-glands and L-nodes give it a low
melting point, so you get chorizo fluid that can innundate
ground pork or beef muscle meat in a particularly fine way ...
but what it's really doing is it's a vehicle for carrying
that ground spice mix all through the sausage. On top of
any glandular flavor. The total effect is what's wonderful.

But just using ground muscle meat, and no organs, and some
olive oil to transport flavor from the ground spices can work
fantastically well too.

Steve

"Steve Pope" <spope33@speedymail.org> wrote in message
news:g08mc3$7sj$2@blue.rahul . net ...
> weedhopper <whopper@verizon . com > wrote:
>
>>"Goomba38" <Goomba38@comcast . net > wrote in message
>
>>> sf wrote:
>
>>>> I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
>>>> pounds of meat.
>
>>> well, add the other half pound of fat too.
>>> It works. What can I say?
>>> (and unlike many commercial chorizo.. . it doesn't contain salivary and
>>> lymph glands. Ugh.)
>
>>That's what gives it the good flavor.
>
> Yeah! Well, partly. The S-glands and L-nodes give it a low
> melting point, so you get chorizo fluid that can innundate
> ground pork or beef muscle meat in a particularly fine way ...
> but what it's really doing is it's a vehicle for carrying
> that ground spice mix all through the sausage. On top of
> any glandular flavor. The total effect is what's wonderful.
>

Steve

What is "chorizo fluid" and "glandular flavor"?

sf <sf.usenet@gmail . com :)> wrote:

>On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:09:54 -0700, Mark Thorson <nospam@sonic . net >
>wrote:

>>sf wrote:

>>> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.

>>Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
>>chile flavor.

>I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
>pounds of meat.

In my experience sausage in general can take a huge ratio of
ground spices. I put handfuls of cayenne and fennel into Italian
sausage for example. 8 or 12 anchos for a pound of pork does
not seem too excessive to me.

Steve

sf wrote:

>> 1.5 pounds lean boneless pork shoulder..
>> 8 ounces pork fat
>> 12 medium dried ancho chiles...
>> 2 bay leaves
>> 1.5 tsp cinnamon, pref fresh ground Mexican canela
>> 1/8 tsp cloves, pref fresh ground
>> 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
>> Thyme and marjoram (1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried)
>> Salt
>> 1/4 cup cider vinegar
>>
>> I was surprised by there being no garlic though! It seems to need some...
>
> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.
>
yet it tastes great! I fried up a small test batch and like it very
much. Steve's recipe called for ground ancho, mine the whole (about 6
ounces whole) and it worked very well.
I still think it needs a lil garlic though.

"Goomba38" <Goomba38@comcast . net > wrote in message
news:ML2dnTn-EKbCqbrVnZ2dnUVZ_sWdnZ2d@comcast . com ...
> Steve Pope wrote:
>
>> The Rick Bayless recipe for chorizo seasoning I have does
>> not include ground bay leaves. Steve
>
> From "Mexico-One Plate at a Time" page 26
> Chorizo Mexicano
>
> 1.5 pounds lean boneless pork shoulder..
> 8 ounces pork fat
> 12 medium dried ancho chiles...
> 2 bay leaves
> 1.5 tsp cinnamon, pref fresh ground Mexican canela
> 1/8 tsp cloves, pref fresh ground
> 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
> Thyme and marjoram (1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried)
> Salt
> 1/4 cup cider vinegar
>
> I was surprised by there being no garlic though! It seems to need some...

Go with your instinct.

On Sun 11 May 2008 10:41:35a, Goomba38 told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> I have a mortar and pestle, but I wouldn't even consider trying to
>> grind up bay leaves in it. Too laborious. :-)
>>
> But..but.. Rick says to do it that way!!
> I've never had a recipe call for ground bay leaves before, to tell you
> the truth? At least I don't recall one....?

I don't mind breaking with "tradition" or recommendations if I like the
result the way I chose to prepare it. I've come to realize, after reading
countelss cookbooks, that some procedures are performed in great part for
effect.

I don't think a lot of recipes call for ground bay leaves, but I often do
grind them because I like the way it works in recipes. I also use them
whole, depending on what I'm making.



--
Wayne Boatwright
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