Mexican Kimchi and Chorizo

I can't wait to have these together! I love anything having to do with cilantro and lime juice with some kind of chili. Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, I love it all! Sally Fallon has a Latin American Sauerkraut recipe in her book, but I switched it up a bit, adding jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice. Here's my version. I used Napa cabbage because I had a lot of it due to a shopping communication error. I'll let you know how it comes out in a few days, when it's a fermented!

• 1 medium Napa cabbage shredded (about 12 loosely packed cups)
• 1 cups carrots, shredded (I used more because I got over-zealous with the grater!)
• 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (if you like biting into pieces of pepper, slice them, by all means!)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 onion, quartered and thinly sliced (again, it's what I had, use more, if you like)
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tbs sea salt
• 4 tbs whey, or 1 additional tbs salt

Toss everything together and pound for 10 minutes as described here, then pack into jars.

Chorizo

I found the recipe for this chorizo here. The recipe in my sausage book didn't have any chili, and I definitely wanted more flavor, so I went searching. I used the next to the last one and have reprinted it below. I used a combination of regular chili powder and pasilla chili, which has a wonderful fruity quality. I'm letting it marinate now and will let you know how it tastes when it's done!

Chorizo Mexicano

Serves 8
Ingredients  
     

2	lb	Pork; lean, coarse grind
1/4	lb	Pork fat; chop fine
2	Tbsp	Paprika
2	Tbsp	Chili powder
1	tsp	Pepper, black
1/2	tsp	Cinnamon, ground
1/2	tsp	Cloves, ground
1/4	tsp	Coriander, ground
1/4	tsp	Ginger; grated
1	tsp	Oregano, dried, crushed
1	tsp	Cumin, ground
2	tsp	Salt
6		Garlic cloves; crushed
1/2	cup	Vinegar, white
1/2	cup	Sherry, dry (can substitute brandy)
1		Sausage casing (optional)

  Directions

Combine pork meat and fat thoroughly. Add paprika, chili powder, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, oregano, cumin, garlic, salt, vinegar and sherry (brandy may be substituted). Mix well with hands.  

Mixture may be stored in a crock in cool place for twenty-four hours, or better, for 2 or 3 days. Form into patties and saute.  

Alternatively the mixture may be forced into sausage casing and hung to dry in a cool place. This is best done in cold weather and hung in a breezy place help with drying.

Update: The chorizo had too much sweet spice, for my taste. I'd make it again with less sweet and more hot. The vinegar added a nice tartness. I'd also add a tad more fat. I didn't add as much as in the recipe and it was a bit on the dry side. 

Kimchi, Sauerkraut and other Fermented Veggies

Some time ago, when everyone was afraid of the bird flu, it was discovered that eating kimchi could prevent and even cure the flu. It was all the rage for a while, but then, as with many health food fads, faded from mass market view. Preserved vegetables, however, are very healthy, indeed. They contain vitamins and fiber and also happy, healthy bacteria that's great for your digestion and general gut health. A healthy gut is important for your general health and immune system. The typical American diet is a gut-buster in more ways than one! Here's a good background article, but I'm going to focus on the way I make fermented vegetables. The easiest, cheapest way I found to ferment vegetables I found in a wonderful book by Sally Fallon called Nourishing Traditions.

Kimchi Tools

These are my basic kimchi/sauerkraut-making tools. Nothing fancy or expensive. If I ever have money to burn, I may get one of these, but my $3 craft store bowl and plastic potato masher work just fine for me!  I used small, new canning jars for this batch, because I plan to give these away, but I also use repurposed jars that were around. Fermenting isn't as fussy as canning, so the jars need to be clean, but not fresh from boiling water!

Ingredients

These are the basic kimchi ingredients:

• one medium head of Napa cabbage (I like to use organic wherever possible) 
• one bunch green onions
• one tablespoon grated ginger
• one cup grated carrot
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper (or more, if you like it hot)
• 1 tablespoons sea salt
• 4 tablespoons whey, if using, otherwise, add another tablespoon salt

A note about whey: Whey is a dairy product that accelerates the lacto-fermentation process. I make mine by draining whole, plain yogurt in a tea towel. If you have plain yogurt, you may have enough whey on top of your yogurt if you've had it a couple days. I use it also for soaking grains, so I make a batch of it. More on that another time! This is what it looks like. It keeps in the fridge a long time!

Whey

The first step is to shred the veggies. I like to use a knife for Napa cabbage and a mandolin for green cabbage. Napa cabbage I find too big for my mandolin. I have a lovely Chinese knife that was a gift from a friend, so I use that, but any large knife will do. Make your slices as thin as possible.

 

Napa cabbage varies in size, so I usually fill this bowl. Next, I grate the carrot using a box grater and for the ginger, I use a microplaner.  Feel free to peel your ginger, I don't.

Shredded Cabbage

 

Grated Ginger

Ready to Pound

Chop the green onions and garlic, sprinkle on the salt, red pepper and whey (if using) and toss everything in the bowl together. Now comes the fun part! The vegetables  need to be pounded to start them releasing their juices. You're not mashing them into a pulp, just whacking at them for about 10 minutes. I usually set my kitchen timer for 10 minutes and start pounding.

After 4 minutes of pounding

After 7 minutes of pounding

After 10 minutes of pounding

Packing into Jars

The kimchi is now ready to pack into jars. I place some into the jars and pack in tight with a wooden pestle from a Japanese grinding bowl I have around. Use whatever you have, but you want to pack the veggies down, so the liquid come up to the top of the veggies.

Finished Jars

WARNING: Be sure to leave about an inch of head space on top of your jars. Pressure from the fermentation will build up, otherwise, and cause your jars to start leaking (don't ask how I know this!). 

In the Pantry

After screwing on the lids tightly, I put them in my pantry for 3-4 days (shown here with a batch of sauerkraut made the same day), then transfer to the fridge. You can eat it after 4 days, but it gets better as it ages and will keep for months, if it lasts that long. I eat a bit usually every day!

Finished Kimchi

The recipe for sauerkraut is made the same way, and contains:

• one head green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 4 tabelspoons whey, or an additional tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon caraway seed (I use less for a less strong caraway taste)

Pound and pack into jars the same as for kimchi.
Enjoy some kimchi on scrambled eggs, or with rice and fish. We like rice, fish, eggs and kimchi for breakfast! Gets your day off to a great start!