Cheese-Stuffed Argentinian Chorípan Recipe

Nearly every country has a beloved food that is near and dear to the region, and when it comes to Argentina, choripán proudly bears that title. In case you've never experienced the savory delight that is choripán, you might be able to figure out what it is based on the name itself — chorizo and bread (chori and pan) come together to create a sausage sandwich, and quite the delicious one at that. "This sandwich is an unreal symphony of flavors," recipe developer A.J. Forget says of his cheese-stuffed rendition of a classic choripán. "Between the crisp bread, the salty, spicy chorizo, the rich, molten cheese, and the tangy, herbal chimichurri, it has everything you could want in a sandwich."

While chorizo is the natural star of any choripán sandwich, there are other goodies that really take this handheld dish to new heights. You'll stuff the bread with mozzarella cheese before loading on the sausage, then you'll top the whole thing off with fresh tomato slices and an herby, tangy chimichurri sauce; between the savoriness of the cheese and sausage and the brightness of the tomatoes and sauce, there is no denying the sheer delicacy that is choripánes, whether they be in the streets of Argentina or in a restaurant beyond South America — perhaps, even, in your own kitchen.

As we've already mentioned, chorizo is the star meat of this sandwich, though to make this choripán, you'll specifically want to seek out Argentinian sausage. "There are a lot of different varieties of chorizo out there," Forget explains. "Argentinian chorizo is typically made with wine, paprika, and garlic, whereas others may include ingredients like vinegar, chiles, and different herbs and spices." He adds, "At the far end of the chorizo spectrum is Spanish chorizo, which is a cured sausage, rather than the fresh links of an Argentinian or Mexican chorizo." If you aren't able to find Argentinian chorizo, fear not — any chorizo will do, and you can guarantee that it'll taste good no matter what.

Other ingredients include sandwich rolls, mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, and then the chimichurri necessities: olive oil, minced parsley, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, and a bit of salt.

Before you make the sandwich itself, you'll want to whip up the fresh chimichurri sauce. Luckily, that's a pretty easy task; to make the sauce, simply combine the olive oil, minced parsley, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper in a bowl. Give it a taste and add salt as desired, then set your chimichurri aside for just a bit.

Any choripán features chorizo, but not all of them are cheese-stuffed — this feature is something that makes Forget's rendition of the classic sandwich a unique one. "What makes this recipe special is the molten cheese underneath," Forget explains. "By making a trench in the bottom half of the roll, filling it with cheese, and pressing the chorizo over the top, we create an effect like a juicy lucy, where the middle of the sandwich is filled with delicious, melted cheese."

So, to ensure that you successfully get that molten cheese layer, you don't want to simply layer cheese onto the bread. Instead, you'll want to pluck some of the bread out of the bottom slice, forming a trench or well, then snugly stick a slice of mozzarella into said trench. This step will ensure that the cheese melts nicely into the bread and, every time you take a bite, it'll have a nice balance between bread, cheese, meat, and so on.

Make sure that your chorizo is out of the casing, then form the meat into long, thin patties. Press the patties into the bottom halves of the rolls (the halves with the cheese), making sure that it covers most if not all of the bread's surface. 

Get a grill heated to medium-high then place the bread rolls on top, sausage side down. Because the meat is raw, you'll want to cook the sandwich halves for 8 to 10 minutes, during which time the chorizo will cook through and the cheese underneath will get nice and melty. Once all of the chorizo halves are cooked, go ahead and throw the top halves of bread onto the grill for just a minute to give them a light crisp.

Layer a couple of tomato slices onto each of your choripánes, then follow those up with a healthy spoonful of chimichurri. Finally, pop the top slices of bread onto each choripán and get ready to dig in. "These sandwiches are very rich, so I suggest serving them with a green salad on the side. You can even dress the salad with a little bit of chimichurri, if you have extra," Forget suggests. "Or, if you want to stick to the theme, accompanying these choripanes with provoleta and grilled vegetables would set you up for an Argentinian feast."