This is an authentic, and very popular recipe of home made chorizo from the Mexican capital city. It has been in Mexican tables for generations of families, and the ingredients and variations have had little or no changes over time.

 Ingredients:

4 lbs. ground pork                               2 oz. ground achiote

1½ lb. bacon                                         1 ½ tbsp. dry oregano

1 c. white vinegar                                 1 tsp. ground cumin

8 ancho chili                                          1 tsp. ground cinnamon

5 pasilla chili                                         ½ tsp. ground clover

1 red bell pepper                                   1 tsp. ground pepper

1 med. onion                                           1 ½ tbsp. salt

2 garlic cloves

Directions:

Take the stems and seeds out of the ancho and pasilla chilies, put them in a blender with the vinegar, add the bell pepper, onion and minced garlic. Add the achiote, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, clover, salt and pepper, and blend at medium speed for about 10 minutes, until a paste is formed. Chop the bacon in small pieces and mix it in a large bowl with the ground pork. Add the paste from the blender and mix all together. Put it into casings, if you don’t have casings and a sausage stuffer, you can store it in freezer bags. Let it dry for a couple of days, keep refrigerated and enjoy!. Makes 5 pounds.

Note: *Mexican chorizo is a fresh sausage that must be cooked before eating, unlike Spanish chorizo, American, Canadian, or Italian sausages which are fermented, cured, or smoked.