Make the Best Potato Salad With Salted Meat
My favorite food at any backyard party or barbecue is, without a doubt, potato salad. Burgers , grilled chicken , and even corn take on more sheen than this commendable bowl of starched mayonnaise, and I’m fine with that. While there’s a line of losers behind the cheeseburgers, I’ve got 12 pounds of fries left. Usually this is a side dish, but I think it’s time to change that. Elevate potato salad to a main course by adding chunks of salted meat.
Obviously, when everyone thinks of potato salad, they immediately think of “balance”. (No? Just me?) Potatoes are the canvas, and creamy mayonnaise, slightly bitter celery, sour mustard, lots of salt, and maybe a swirl of sweet pickle seasoning is the paint. See? Balanced. That’s why potato salad rocks. The only missing element is some juicy umami, and that’s where the salty meat comes in.
Most packaged, cured, or smoked meats will do. You are looking for meat with a rich taste. I used Schaller and Weber Spanish-style chorizo , but any sausage, bacon, pancetta, or hot dogs will do. First, make sure the meat is completely cooked. Most packages will indicate whether the product is fully cooked or needs to be cooked. Fry or bake the bacon to your desired consistency. I would aim for a fully crispy crust, but if you like thicker cuts with a bit of chewiness, go ahead. If you’re using pre-cooked meat like hot dogs, you can technically start chopping it up, but I recommend browning it a bit first. My chorizo was fully cooked, but I fried it on both sides to add some depth of flavor.
Let the meat cool for about 10 minutes to make it easier to handle. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, or about the same size as the potato pieces in your salad. Add this to the rest of the potato salad ingredients while it comes together.
Besides the phenomenal additional flavor, there’s a little excitement that comes when you discover juicy chunks of meat in a dish that wouldn’t normally contain them. The first time I saw sausage crumbs in Thanksgiving stuffing, I almost went crazy. This salad causes about the same reaction. Adding flavored meat is also a little trick to cut down on the mayonnaise. ( Here are others .) The meat will add salt, fat, and flavor, which means you don’t have to rely so heavily on mayonnaise. I suggest adding two tablespoons less mayonnaise than usual, adding salted meat, and tasting the salad. Evaluate and adjust from there.
Potato salad with salted meat – no side dish. The potato is still a star, but now it’s backed by their longtime partner, meat. This recipe uses two links of chorizo, but you can increase or decrease the amount depending on whether you want the sausage in each bite or as a little surprise from time to time.
Chorizo Potato Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ pounds potatoes, boiled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 celery stalks, coarsely diced
- 2 links of chorizo, lightly fried
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- A pinch of garlic powder
- Pinch of black pepper
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoons sweet pickle (optional)
- 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Cut the chorizo links in half lengthwise. Slice them again crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Fry if desired and let cool completely. In a large bowl, add potatoes, celery, chorizo, and parsley. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Add mayonnaise, dijon and pickles. Add half of the chopped eggs. Mix and try. Add more mayonnaise if needed. Top with the remaining egg slices. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.