I have a deep love for chorizo. Did you notice? I love it so much that I developed the four recipes you have seen so far plus this brand spanking new one, and I wrote a little piece on it for one of my favorite food sites, FOOD52.

This is a recipe for green chorizo, a fresh version of the sausage that originates from the Toluca region of Mexico. What makes this chorizo unique? Well as its name indicates, it’s green instead of red. The dried chiles of the traditional Mexican chorizo are swapped out for fresh chiles and vibrant herbs. On top of the poblano, serranos, parsley and cilantro, I also added in fresh spinach to really greenify my sausage. Some healthy greens in your tasty chorizo? Yes, please!

Though it is tied to the traditional version with roasted garlic, spices, and vinegar, this sausage is really its own thing. Instead of the smokey deepness of age, you get the vibrant kick of youth. Both flavors are, of course, equally wonderful.

So once your have your sausage marinating in the fridge, what should you make with it? Meatballs. Meatballs and eggs braised in a harissa tomato sauce. Yes, I’m mixing a Middle Eastern standard with Mexican sausage. But when they work so well together, does it really offend you? What’s also great about this dish is that as long as you have the sausage mixture ready to go, it should take about 30 minutes to get on to the dinner table.

I have also used this sausage in tacos, YUM, and at some point I plan on putting it in some enchiladas. I’m also thinking of making a variation of the below recipe by replacing the tomato sauce with lemony chard. Will need to report back on that. Anyway the point is, it is super versatile and a great thing to have on hand in the fridge or freezer for quick meals.

B R A I S E D  G R E E N  C H O R I Z O  M E A T B A L L S  +  E G G S  I N  A  H A R I S S A  T O M A T O  S A U C E
serves 2, generously

fresh green chorizo
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 medium poblano pepper
1-2 serrano chiles
5 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 cup packed fresh spinach
Grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Oh where did the rest of it go?

FOOD52 post and rest of the recipe here