Chorizo a la Sidra

When you visit Asturias, you are going to drink cider. And when you drink cider, you are probably going to be offered a tapa. Either on a tray carried by a waiter, or an individual dish. The most common of the individual dishes is this classic; chorizo a la sidra. Smoky Asturian chorizo poached in cider, sliced, and served with a toothpick.

Deceptively simple, this dish is a litmus test for how much care and attention the cook, and by extension, the bar, has put into their work. In many places it is excellent; succulent rounds of sausage swimming in an unctuous fatty broth of pimentón spiked cider. In a few, however, it is not so great. Sometimes you get something that while technically chorizo in cider, is more an overcooked lump of something that might have been a sausage once, lying dead at the bottom of a pool of grey ooze. I tend not to return to those establishments, and you’ll never find a recommendation on this site for one.

Chorizo a la sidra at Home

Perhaps you are, like most of Asturias at the moment, not allowed to go to the sidrería. Perhaps you would like to have a party at home with cider and traditional snacks. Perhaps you are far far away from Asturias and need something to eat while you plan your Asturian vacation. Whatever the reason, it is simple to make chorizo a la sidra at home.

There are only a few ingredients in this recipe, so good ingredients and good technique are everything here. Spend the time to find a good Asturian-style cider. You want something still, not carbonated. On the west coast of the US, and in the northeast, you can find the real deal imported from Asturias through the Ciders of Spain Locator. If you go this route, I highly recommend the FANJUL SIDRA NATURAL both for drinking and for making chorizo a la sidra.

There are a handful of American brands making Asturian-style ciders of their own. I happen to know that Sidra Verde by ANXO is good, and ships to most of the US.

For the chorizo, I would look no further than Aurelia’s. American made, from an Asturian recipe, and properly smoked, this is your best bet for an authentic tasting product.

If you find other outstanding still ciders or great smoked chorizo brands in the US, let me know in the Discussion please!

Ingredients

• 3–4 smoked Asturian chorizos.
• 250 ml still cider.

Instructions

1. Remove the string from the chorizos (if any) and place them in a saucepan. Prick them with the tip of a knife so that they do not burst and release part of the juice during cooking. Pour the cider on top and put on high heat.
2. When it starts to boil, Leave it over a high heat for five minutes, then lower to low heat and finish the cooking. The time will depend on the freshness, size and quality of the chorizo, but in about 15 or 20 minutes they will be done. , When the liquid has reduced a bit, leaving a sauce at the bottom of the pan.
3. Remove the chorizos from the pan and slice into rounds. Now you have a choice; fry the rounds for a minute over high heat to brown them a bit, or serve them as-is. It is a matter of personal taste. Try both and see which you prefer!
4. To serve, put them in small wide shallow bowls (like you would use to make crème brûlé), pour a little of the liquid over the slices, and stick a toothpick in one to serve as a utensil.

Notes

• If you can find the small choricitos, those make an excellent substitute for sliced chorizo.