Ing.

Mexican Chorizo

Introduction

The chorizo seems to be originated in Catalunia, Sapain, and was born due to the necessity to preserve meat with the absence of refrigeration. The chorizo has been, during many years, the king of Spanish and Mexican sausages. However, its production and sell has experienced a standstill during the last years, and it has been overtaken by cooked ham. The reduction of its consumption could be worst, but the increasing in the varieties of chorizo (Argentinean, Pamplona, Straight, Fresh, Sarta, etc) has compensated this lost in the market.

Chorizo as defined by USDA in the Food Standards and Labeling is: any type of sausage that is cooked, dry, semi-dry, cured and fresh without further product name qualification. Other requirements for various types of chorizo apply, including the sausage standard. It is seasoned with Spanish pimento and red pepper. Partially defatted pork fatty tissue is acceptable in Chorizo. Wine is considered a flavoring and need only appear in the ingredients statement. However, the liquid is credited as added water. This product may contain vinegar. The vinegar used must have strength of no less than 4 grams of acetic acid per 100 cubic centimeters (20oC). Nevertheless,, nowadays the formulation can be adapted depending on the region where this product is created to give it a special name. Usually producers change the amount and type of spices and sometimes the proportion of meat included.

The chorizo has a short or medium shelf life that is matured for a few days to allow the development of the typical aromas and flavors of these types of products. Furthermore, the meat particles get agglutinated and the batter turns to a red color. Also, the chorizo can be or not be smoked with the objective to improve the sensory properties. Today, in Mexico is a wide variety of chorizos, some of them with regional names that enjoy of a great acceptance by their consumers.

For the labeling of this product, chorizo has to follow the statements established by the CFR title 9, part 317.2 which refer to the labeling, marking devices and containers of meat and meat products. Moreover, for labeling the spices, colorings and flavorings, it will be follow the title 21, part 101.22

Overview of project

Chorizo contains pork and beef meat, therefore it falls in the definition of breakfast sausage as it is established by de title 9 CFR-319.143 as follows: "is a sausage prepared with fresh and/or frozen meat; or fresh and/or frozen meat and meat byproducts, and may contain mechanically separated meat (Species) in accordance with Sec. 319.6, and may be seasoned with condimental substances as permitted in part 318 of this subchapter. The finished product shall not contain more than 50 percent fat. To facilitate chopping or mixing, water or ice may be used in an amount not to exceed 3 percent of the total ingredients used." (CFR, 2005)

Based on these attributes the chorizo follows the following sausage principles. First of all, the quality of the raw materials is very important because the quality of the final product relay principally on these. The chorizo is a fresh sausage that doesn't receive a heat treatment until it is prepared for its consumption, therefore a meat with less collagen and low bacterial counts is preferred as well as the use of irradiated spices, to increase in someway the shelf-life of the product.

These types of meats contain higher levels of extractable myosin and therefore a higher binding capacity. When preparing the chorizo, the salt as a first ingredient allow the extraction of the myosin and increases the water holding capacity of the meat during the first minutes of mixing. After that the addition of the vinegar and the other spices will give the flavoring and increase the solubility to dissolve the rest of the ingredients. In the case of the wine, it also helps as a medium to dissolve the added spices.

The cure main functionality in this product, besides curing it, is to inhibit the C. Botulinum toxin, because the final color is going to be imparted by the addition of paprika. However, the pre-dissolution of this powder in a small quantity of water will help to obtain a more uniform cure and avoid uncured spots through the final product. Also the use of a curing accelerator will help with the curing process of this product because it will not receive a heat treatment to help to set the cure color.

Ingredient Function

Ingredient Purpose and function

Ground Pork, Ground Beef, Bacon These ingredients are part of the meat block.

Salt The main function is to extract myosin from the meat block and preservation. Also, salt will impart flavor to the product.

Vinegar Flavoring and reducing the pH which will help with the formation of the cured color.

Paprika The function of this ingredient is mainly coloring but also flavoring

Garlic, Black Pepper, Cumin, Oregano, Bay leaves, Thyme, Marjoram, Cloves, Nutmeg, White pepper The function of the spices is to give the flavor to the product.

Guajillo Pepper ground powder Coloring and Flavoring

Sodium Erythorbate To speed up the curing process

Prague powder (nitrite) To inhibit C. Botulinum toxin formation, fix color and develop cured flavor

Red wine Flavoring

Product evaluation

Observations during manufacture

* Argentinean Chorizo

During mixing the product, it could be see how the two meats, pork and beef, where getting blended as the time passed, this was due principally to the fact that the beef meat was more purple because it was vacuum packaged. When adding the ingredients salt and the spices, the batter started to become sticky and the color turned to a slight brown. At this point, the batter looked more uniform and like a paste instead of meat chunks. After adding the wine, the mixture turned even more sticky, but at the same time the paste was softer and with a slightly watery feeling. The color of the final batter was slightly tan.

* Mexican Chorizo

The mix of the two meats occurred really fast, after adding the salt the mixture started to gain cohesiveness