Chorizo con Papas
When I last traveled to Costa Rica in 2019 with my family, we ended the week-long trip with a large family reunion. Distant cousins, my grandfather’s siblings, and long-time family friends had traveled hours or across the street to celebrate. They brought with them dishes to share, desserts, avocados from their yards, and a special bottle of Johnnie Walker for my grandpa. We gathered at my grandparents’ home, the house where my mom grew up. On the day of the party, we visited the local farmers market, buying the most incredible ingredients for our long day of cooking. After carrying our bags of plátanos, pineapples, and dried beans home, my grandma sent my sister and me to the carnicería to buy fresh chorizo. She told us we were making chorizo con papas.
I grew up with my grandma’s cooking, but I could not recall her ever making chorizo con papas for us back in New York. I assumed it was a special dish that had a time and place. The time was the family party, and the place was back in her ancestral home in the central highlands of Costa Rica.
This dish is hearty, and like many Costa Rican foods, it starts with sofrito cooked in achiote oil. I used whole, small potatoes in this recipe like my grandma would, but quartering the potatoes is also a good option.
In Costa Rica, achiote is now typically sold as a paste, which, according to my mom, is a recent convenience. Here in New York, I found gorgeous Mexican annatto seeds from the spice company, La Boite, which I used to make achiote oil. It’s simple: bring a ¼ cup of annatto seeds to a simmer in a ½ cup neutral vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes. Take off the heat and let the seeds infuse for up to 10 minutes before straining into a heat-safe jar.
Ingredients:
- Whole baby yellow potatoes, 1.5 lbs
- Fresh chorizo, casings removed, 12 oz
- Achiote oil, 4 teaspoons, divided
- ½ red pepper, finely diced
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Corn tortillas, for serving
- Black beans, for serving
- Thinly sliced purple cabbage, for serving
How To:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes for 8-10 minutes until tender. Prick the largest potato with a toothpick or fork to test doneness. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. In a medium-sized skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the achiote oil and add in the chorizo. Using the flat side of a wooden spoon, gently smash and crumble the chorizo as it cooks for 6-8 minutes. Once the chorizo is fully cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside on a plate, leaving any remaining oil and chorizo fat.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining achiote oil for a minute before adding the red pepper and onion. Sautee for 5 minutes until onions just start to turn golden, then add in the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes until all the vegetables are softened. This is the sofrito.
4. In a large serving bowl, combine the whole potatoes with the sofrito and chorizo and gently mix all together. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve alongside corn tortillas and black beans.
My grandma’s Costa Rican chorizo con papas served with black beans
Shopping at the feria del agricultor with my grandma in Costa Rica
Costa Rican pantry at my grandparents’ home filled with potatoes, peppers, and plátanos
