Oaxacan-Style Chorizo

Place meat and fat in a large nonreactive bowl and season the meat with the salt.

Cover and refrigerate overnight

Toast all chiles on a comal (a Mexican griddle) or a cast-iron frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute (until fragrant and pliable). Turn out onto a plate to cool.

Tear the chiles into smaller pieces and place in a bowl covered by warm water, soaking for ~30 minutes (until softened).

Drain the chiles and reserve them with a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid separately.

Using the same comal or frying pan, toast the peppercorns, allspice, cumin, cloves, and cinnamon stick over medium heat for 2-3 minutes (until fragrant). Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a spice grinder and grind finely.

Dry roast the garlic on the same comal or frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the skin darkens and the garlic releases a fragrant aroma. When the cloves are cool enough to handle, peel and chop.

In a blender, combine the vinegar, chiles, ground spices, garlic, and achiote powder and puree until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, thin with the reserved chile soaking liquid as needed to achieve a good consistency. Scrape the puree into a large nonreactive bowl and fold in the thyme and oregano. Place the bowl directly under the meat grinder.

Fit the grinder with the largest plate and grind the meat once directly into the chile-spice puree. Mix the farce well by hand for 2-3 minutes. The mixture should begin to firm up and feel cohesive.

Suggestion: Refrigerate the parts of your grinder until ready to use.