When I was making Merguez a couple weeks ago, my eyes kept wandering to the recipe on the previous page for Mexican Chorizo. I didn't have any particular meal in mind when I decided to make Mexican Chorizo, but the sausage-stuffing process had been such a fiasco with the Merguez that I wanted to get back on that horse as soon as possible. Thus, another Sunday spent diving into Micheal Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn's awesome book...
I got a big gorgeous hunk of pork shoulder at blood farm. Unlike Merguez, the Chorizo didn't require the addition pork fatback... for reasons that are fairly obvious. Heh.
The cubed pork is combined with ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, hot paprika, fresh oregano, minced garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper.
This is tossed together, then thrown in the fridge for a few hours for the flavors to develop.
Grinding time...
Because I had so many issues with temperature last time (the ice bath you're supposed to put below the grinding bowl accomplishes nothing...), I put the sausage filling in the fridge for a few hours after adding the tequila and red wine vinegar to let flavors continue to develop and to let the ground meat get nice and cold.
About 20 minutes before I started stuffing, I put the bowl of filling in the freezer. I brilliantly wrapped the freezer handle with plastic wrap so that I could easily open and close the door with sausage-covered hands to get more pork as I worked without contaminating everything, and was ready to dive in. Despite much trepidation, this went EXTREMELY well. Seriously. I rocked it.
Before I started stuffing, I had been shopping around for a proper sausage-stuffer, dreading another experience like last time... but it turns out that such an expenditure would be totally unnecessary, because I am just that awesome. I'm sorry I called you an asshole a couple weeks ago, KitchenAid Sausage-Stuffer Attachment. You're not so bad after all...
Not too shabby, eh? Because this is a ridiculous amount of sausage, I used my vacuum sealer to package most of them up for later.
A couple links, though, became part of a yummy brunch. I grilled them up (probably with the heat a little too high, which caused them to burst... but I was OK with that) while grilling some chicken breasts for lunches.
I made a quick batch of polenta, poached a couple eggs using the Momofuku method, and called it "brunch," even though it was noon by the time I finished cooking it...
I'm also planning to use more of these kick-ass sausages in a Rick Bayless-inspired feast in a couple weeks when my mom flies out to look after me following surgery. Can't wait. Mmmm... Chorizo... 
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