Saturday, January 24, 2015

I am chorizo! (Cacique's soybean chorizo for vegetarians)

Cacique produces a meat-free chorizo that the company labels "Soy Chorizo."

I have to believe the name is an intentional pun, since most chorizo fans have some Spanish literacy and the Spanish word "soy" means "I am."

I've long been aware of Soy Chorizo, but not being vegetarian I had little interest in trying it.  That was a mistake.

While it is obvious that this isn't pork, Cacique did a good job of getting the flavor right.

There are other advantages.

Most pork- or beef-based chorizos are very greasy when cooked and should be drained during the cooking process.  Otherwise, once you stir in your scrambled eggs and whatever other ingredients you choose, they soak up all that cholesterol high grease.

Once I opened the package, I realized -- duh! -- there won't be any grease or cholesterol from this chorizo.

The recipe I went with for this meal involved chopping poblano, red bell pepper and scallions. Normally, I would brown the chorizo first, but since there's no raw meat to cook, I mixed in the chorizo and cut veggies at the same time.

Also, since there is no animal fat, I used a little more vegetable oil than I normally mess with. Cooking time is shorter, since you just want to soften the pepper skins in the skilled before you pour in the egg.

I won't offer an opinion on portion volume. Some people aren't big veggie fans, but I like a lot in my mix.

This is a good-tasting chorizo! I was struck, not just by the taste, but the texture of the soy curd.

It bears a remarkable resemblance to ground meat.

It also spreads very easily. Some meat-based chorizos are not fine ground and have to be broken up in the skillet.

With this particular meal, I broke up and sprinkled queso fresco on top as I made my corn tortilla tacos.

One other thing, the price surprised me. Maybe it was on special that day, but this Cacique brand sold for $1 dollar per 10-ounce tube. That's a good deal! A 10-ounce portion of a quality grade pork chorizo would easily run twice that price or more.

Buen provecho!

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