Asturian Chorizo in Cider (Chorizo a la Sidra) with Roasted Potatoes and Garlicky Green Beans
Smoky Spanish chorizo simmered in dry cider with onions and apple until the cider reduces to a glossy, slightly sweet glaze, served with crispy roasted potatoes and garlicky green beans. A simple, cozy taste of Spain's green northern coast.
Yield: Serves 4 as a meal (or 6–8 as a snack) · Active: 25 min · Total: 45 min · Year-round (green beans peak in summer and early fall) · Best eaten: midday or early evening
From My Travels
This is inspired by my travels to Asturias, Spain's rainy, green northern coast, where I could smell the cider houses (sidrerías) from the street.
Ingredients
Chorizo in cider
1 lb cured Spanish chorizo, cut into ½-inch rounds (casing on)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 firm apple (like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), thinly sliced
1½ cups dry natural cider (Asturian sidra natural, or any dry, naturally fermented hard cider)
1 bay leaf
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to finish
Alcohol-free swap: Use 1 cup unfiltered apple juice plus 2 tbsp sherry vinegar and 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar in place of the cider.
Crispy roasted potatoes
1½ lb small potatoes, halved
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Garlicky green beans
1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Optional: a squeeze of lemon and toasted sliced almonds
Method
Roast the potatoes. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, rosemary, and salt, and roast cut-side down for 30–35 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Cook the onion. While the potatoes roast, heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion 4–5 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic for 30 seconds.
Brown the chorizo. Add the chorizo and cook 3–4 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned and the pan turns red-orange from its paprika.
Simmer in cider. Add the apple, cider, and bay leaf. Bring it to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer 10–15 minutes, until the cider has reduced to a glossy glaze, with a little sauce left for dipping.
Cook the green beans. Blanch them in salted boiling water for 3 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender, then drain. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook 1 minute, until fragrant and just golden. Add the green beans and salt, and toss 2–3 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and toasted almonds, if you like.
Serve. Remove the bay leaf, and scatter the chorizo with parsley. Serve it with the potatoes and green beans, with toothpicks for spearing and the potatoes for soaking up the cider glaze.
About the alcohol: Simmering reduces the cider's alcohol, but it doesn't burn off completely. Some remains even after 15–20 minutes, so use the alcohol-free swap for kids or anyone avoiding alcohol.
Make it a snack: Skip the potatoes and green beans, and serve the chorizo on its own with toothpicks, alongside olives, Marcona almonds, and a wedge of Manchego or Idiazábal cheese.
Storage
Refrigerated up to 3 days; the flavors deepen overnight. Leftover chorizo is wonderful over eggs. It freezes up to 2 months.
Nourishment Notes
Pasture-raised pork chorizo — protein, B vitamins (especially thiamine), and zinc, with smoky carotenoids from its paprika.
Apples and cider — polyphenols, and a bright, fruity acidity that balances the rich chorizo.
Potatoes — potassium, vitamin C, and resistant starch, especially in cooled leftovers.
Green beans — vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, and fiber.
Onion and garlic — quercetin, allicin, and prebiotic fibers.
For your cycle: This warming, savory meal is especially satisfying in the luteal phase, and the green beans' and apple's vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron in the pork.
Sourcing
Chorizo — cured Spanish chorizo (not fresh Mexican chorizo, which is a different product), made with pimentón de la Vera, with no added sugar or fillers. Ibérico chorizo, from free-range, acorn-fed pigs, is the gold standard, from La Tienda, Despaña, or a local butcher.
Cider — dry, naturally fermented cider with no added sweeteners, like Trabanco (Asturias) or Eden Cider (Vermont)
Apples, potatoes, green beans, onions, garlic, rosemary, and parsley — organic, from a farmers' market
Sliced almonds (optional) — organic
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate Spanish, harvest-dated, in dark glass, like Castillo de Canena or Núñez de Prado
Salt — Baja Gold sea salt; Maldon for finishing
— Anna aka Food Marshall