Makes 2 pounds

1 ½ pounds pork shoulder, coarsely ground
½ pound pork fat, coarsely ground
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3-4 tablespoons pure red chile powder, preferable Ancho or New Mexican
1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferable Mexican
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4-5 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar

Put the pork, fat and garlic into a large glass or enamel bowl and toss it with your fingers or a fork until crumbled and well mixed.

Sprinkle chile, oregano, salt, pepper, cumin, and cloves over the meat and work them in well with your hands. Splash on the vinegar a little at a time and mix again, but do not let the mixture become gummy. Saute a spoonful in a small skillet and taste for flavor. Add more seasoning if necessary.

Cover tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator to cure for at least 1 day, preferable several more. The chorizo will keep up to a week in the refrigerator, but it can be easily divided into smaller batches and frozen for 2-3 months.
Before cooking, squeeze out any excess vinegar, then fry over very low heat.

Note: It is important to use pure ground dried chiles such as New Mexico or Ancho chile in the chorizo. If you can’t find it in a Hispanic market or your supermarket, grind your own. If you want more heat, just chop in a fresh Serrano chile while the sausage fries.