When I was in Buenos Aires, I had what I consider the most delicious sausage sandwich I’ve ever eaten - Choripan. The name is a combination of two words – “chorizo,” a type of sausage, and “pan,” meaning, “bread.” The chorizo is grilled and put on toasted baguette with chimichurri sauce. One can also add Creole Sauce – chopped tomato, onion, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
Chorizo is a tasty pork sausage that originated in the Iberian Peninsula, but is popular throughout Latin America, in the Philippines, and elsewhere.
The place where I experienced this incredible delight was at Booth 53 in the San Telmo Market (Mercado de San Telmo). The market is an interesting mix of food booths and of stalls with thrift, vintage, and antique items. There are a number of antique shops in the vicinity of the market, and an outdoor antique & flea market on the weekends.
Booth 53
Since returning home, I’ve made choripan three times – served on a toasted hoagie roll and topped with chimichurri sauce. I love the results and will continue making it.
I buy the chorizo at Fresh Market. For the bread, I use Publix hoagie rolls. For chimichurri sauce, I use a brand called La Parmesana. It is imported from Argentina and available on Amazon. I’ve tried three chimichurri sauces; and this one is my favorite. (It’s not surprising that the brand name is Italian. Buenos Aires has a very large ethnic Italian population, which has had a significant influence on the local cuisine.)
Grilling the chorizo is very simple. I use a gas grill on a relatively high setting.
- Before grilling, I make a row of shallow v-shaped cuts on two sides of the chorizo. (I do that with any sausages I grill.)
- I first grill the chorizo on the cooler side of the grill for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
- Then I grill it on the hot side of the grill for 10 minutes, turning it at 5 minutes.
- Four minutes before the grilling is finished, I put the cut-open hoagie roll on the hot side of the grill, with the inside facing down.
After the grilling is finished, I top the sausage with chimichurri sauce. If you’re interested in the creole sauce (salsa criolla), you can easily find recipes on line.
My Choripan