Substitute for chorizo and other dried/cured meats?

tomatoey
tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
edited November 8 in Food and Nutrition
I love chorizo because I cook for one and am convenience-minded - it keeps for AGES, no freezing or prep required. It's an easy way to add meaty flavour to stove-top dishes like pasta, omelettes, legumes, or as a tasty ingredient in dishes like this mind-meltingly good chicken and chorizo thing.

Are there less fatty types/brands of deli meats that can be used this way and taste as good?

(Not asking for advice on batch-cooking/freezing or crockpots or anything like that. Looking for chorizo and other deli meat substitutes, very specifically.)

Thanks!

Replies

  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    How about mimicking the flavor with spices, like smoky paprika, cumin and coriander? You can make a broth with ham hock or shank. There's some meat on the hock, but not much. You can skim some of the fat off the top. You can also make your own sausage, with a meat that's less fatty.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited December 2014
    I'd love to make my own sausages! Something to try, thank you :)

    I like the ham hock broth idea, for soup.

    Not sure I can persuade myself that cumin is a tasty chorizo sausage, but playing with spices will make for more flavour, for sure :)
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Louisiana andouille? -- works in a gumbo-type dish
    Kielbasa ?
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Thanks! I'll try them out :)
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    They're about the same level of fat, fyi.

    Andouille being a larger fat proportion than the general mexican or spanish chorizo.

    Thing about sausage, to get the flavor, texture and bind right... it takes fat. Want less fat? You'll get marginally less from chicken sausage.

    You're not really going to find a sub, at least not an appropriate or good sub. Try learning to make your own, use pork shoulder, and go from there.
  • jeanners98
    jeanners98 Posts: 74 Member
    I really like trader joes' soyrizo. It's the same spices, has a nice consistency and is not greasy or heavy.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    lyttlewon wrote: »
    How about mimicking the flavor with spices, like smoky paprika, cumin and coriander? You can make a broth with ham hock or shank. There's some meat on the hock, but not much. You can skim some of the fat off the top. You can also make your own sausage, with a meat that's less fatty.

    Similar to this, you wouldn't necessarily need to even make it into sausage. Think taco beef. But use extra lean ground pork (if that's a thing) and mimic the spices. Have it loose! As in out of a casing. That could help the fat render off too.
  • kender54
    kender54 Posts: 58 Member
    both Sam's and Costco sell some pretty tasty turkey/chicken sausages in their meat departments. Lower in fat and some different flavors. I'm sure you can find them in smaller packages at other stores, but I have yet to find them.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Thank you for your ideas, folks :)
    dbmata wrote: »
    They're about the same level of fat, fyi.

    Andouille being a larger fat proportion than the general mexican or spanish chorizo.

    Thing about sausage, to get the flavor, texture and bind right... it takes fat. Want less fat? You'll get marginally less from chicken sausage.

    You're not really going to find a sub, at least not an appropriate or good sub. Try learning to make your own, use pork shoulder, and go from there.

    I think you're probably right on all counts :/ Maybe I'll just use a teensy bit of chorizo for a hit of flavour and use chicken/turkey sausages to make up the difference. (Though, do they keep as well? I'd think not...)

    I love smoked pork butt, forgot about that! Thanks :)
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