Spanish Chorizo

[senorkevin]

I found a recipe for a dry Spanish Chorizo and it says "Hang for 12-14 days."
Can I do this without curing?
There is no mention of adding a cure in the recipe and don't want to poison the Mrs!!

[wheels]

Can I do this without curing?

Many do, and I guess that butcher's in Spain generally do. I'm not a butcher in Spain, so don't!

I would use cure.

Phil

[vagreys]

It's safest to use cure. In Barcelona, the butcher I talked with, at length, uses cure because the climate is less predictable and he wants to be sure his sausages are safe. He also noted that some of the salts used in various parts of Spain contain natural levels of nitrates and nitrites, which may be why some traditional dry-sausage recipes in parts of Spain don't explicitly call for cure.

I'd use cure because it is safe, simple, and an easy way to ensure that your product is the way you want it.

[senorkevin]

Thanks tom