Bone Dust

Do you know what that is? If you buy meat prepackaged from most supermarkets the pieces are usually saw cut though both the bone and the flesh. This creates something butchers refer to as "bone dust". It's that powdery, slightly mealy pink stuff that you have to remove before cooking. A good butcher will remove said bone dust. But, mostly we've been seeing that extra step eliminated in the high volume commercial markets.

Not much to do. Just remember that you be sure to remove it yourself. A knife edge or a spoon will do the trick. Or, you can go all in and get the professional real deal tool. But, please don't. Only if you're cooking for a crowd, and often.



Your Might Think It's a Chore.

But, It's Chorizo!

Chorizo is a sausage. Once kind is the Spanish dry cured, ready to eat version. The other, Mexican, which must be cooked.

If you live on the East Coast in the United States of America you probably know the Spanish chorizo. Southeasterners almost never see that kind, but the fresh Mexican chorizo is easily available.

This brief note is to encourage you to try the Mexican variety. Not store bought, but home made.

Store bought is fine, but it's a fresh product and you should trust your store, the quality of ingredients, and their recipe. In a good Mexican food store you will find house made chorizo often done up in casings. In stores with high volume you'll also see chorizo in bulk. Again, trust your source. You must remove the sausage from the casing to fry in a little oil. Home made, the accompanying photo shows how you can wrap it in plastic and store overnight to blend flavors; or freeze in bags and have ready for use other times. 

It's very easy and the taste is wonderful for tacos or, as we do, a breakfast with eggs and pappas fritas or tostones or yuca with pickled onions.

For breakfast we saute colorful mild peppers and onions, set aside, then fry the loose Mexican chorizo. Mix together and serve with eggs, your style. And, of course, the hash browned pototoes, fried green plantains, or boiled casava with those pickled onions.

If your lips are smacking for some Mexican Chorizo, here is as good a recipe as you will find.