Buzz
At every barbecue or yard party, my top choice is always potato salad. While everyone else gravitates toward the burgers, grilled chicken, or corn, I'm happily enjoying my own 12-pound serving of mayo-drenched potatoes. Though it's typically a side dish, I think it's time for an upgrade. Make potato salad the star of the meal by adding chunks of salty meat.
When people think of potato salad, 'balance' is often the first thing that comes to mind. (Or is that just me?) Potatoes serve as the base, while creamy mayo, crisp celery, tangy mustard, salt, and a touch of sweet pickle relish bring the flavor. Balanced, right? That’s the beauty of potato salad. The only thing missing is a punch of umami, and that’s where salty meats come into play.
Any cured, smoked, or packaged meat will do, as long as it offers rich flavor. I used Schaller and Weber's Spanish-style chorizo, but sausages, bacon, pancetta, or even hot dogs will work just as well. Make sure the meat is pre-cooked. The packaging will usually tell you if it needs further cooking. For bacon, fry or bake it to your liking, aiming for crispness or a thicker, chewier cut if preferred. If you’re using something like hot dogs, which are usually pre-cooked, you can chop them immediately, though I recommend giving them a quick sear for extra flavor. My chorizo was already cooked, but I seared both sides for a bit more depth.
Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes to cool down, making it easier to handle. Chop the meat into small, bite-sized pieces, roughly matching the size of the potato chunks in your salad. Add these pieces to the other ingredients while assembling the potato salad.
Beyond the incredible flavor it brings, there’s an extra thrill in uncovering tender pieces of meat in a dish that doesn’t typically feature it. When I first saw sausage crumbles in Thanksgiving stuffing, I was floored. This salad evokes a similar excitement. The addition of savory meat also helps reduce the amount of mayo needed. The meat contributes salt, fat, and flavor, meaning less mayo is necessary. I recommend cutting back by two tablespoons of mayo, then mixing in the salty meat, and tasting. Make adjustments as needed.
Salty meat potato salad is an unbeatable side dish. The potatoes remain the main attraction, but now they have the perfect companion in meat. This recipe uses two links of chorizo, though you can modify the quantity depending on how much sausage you want in each bite or as a rare surprise.
Chorizo Potato Salad
Ingredients:
1 ¼ pounds of potatoes, boiled and diced into 1-inch pieces
3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
2 chorizo sausages, lightly seared
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon of salt
A pinch of garlic powder
A pinch of black pepper
¼ cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons of sweet pickle relish (optional)
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
Slice the chorizo sausages lengthwise, then cut them into small bite-sized pieces. Sear them if desired and allow to cool completely. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, celery, chorizo, and parsley. Season with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir in the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and pickle relish. Add half of the sliced eggs and toss everything together. Taste and adjust with more mayonnaise if necessary. Top with the remaining egg slices and refrigerate until ready to serve.
