CHORIZO 101: Chorizo is a name given to a variety of sausages, both fresh and cured originating in the Iberian peninsula. It is made with chopped pork meat and pork fat, seasoned with paprika and garlic, all stuffed into a natural gut. Although there are many regional varieties, most chorizo can usually be placed into one of two categories—Spanish or Mexican—which are distinctly different. The red color of chorizo is given by a special paprika known as "pimenton". On the other hand, the red color of Mexican chorizo usually comes from spicy red pepper rather than the smoked paprika you find in Spanish chorizo. Spanish chorizo is a cured, or hard, sausage made from coarsely chopped pork. Mexican, on the other hand, is usually ground, rather than chopped, and the sausage is fresh rather than cured.No matter which one of the two you choose to use, chorizo is a flavor-packed ingredient and even little goes a long way.