← Río de la Plata

Choripán

The rustic Argentine classic that butterflies fresh sausage under a wash of sharp chimichurri.

Flag of ArgentinaOrigin: Río de la Plata, Argentina
Choripán illustrated hot dog icon

Origin region: Río de la Plata, Argentina

The anatomy

Vessel
Pan Francés
Sausage
Chorizo Criollo
Region
Río de la Plata
Ingredients

The Choripán is Argentina's raw, smoky alternative to the processed hotdog. It pairs a coarse, uncured beef-and-pork chorizo with crusty bread and a heavy dose of acidic chimichurri to cut through the fat. This is the starting point of any proper backyard barbecue, a pre-game ritual outside football stadiums, and a staple that cuts across every social class. The magic is in the butterfly cut, which exposes the sausage interior to direct fire for a caramelized crust.

Method

  1. 1Prepare the chimichurri by mixing finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, ají molido, salt, red wine vinegar, and oil, letting it sit for at least two hours.
  2. 2Prepare the salsa criolla by finely dicing red onion, tomato, and bell pepper, then tossing with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt.
  3. 3Fire up a charcoal or wood grill to medium-high heat.
  4. 4Place the whole sausages on the grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning regularly, without puncturing the skin.
  5. 5Remove sausages from the grill and slice lengthwise to butterfly them, keeping the halves attached on one side.
  6. 6Place the butterflied sausages back on the grill, cut-side down, cooking for three to five minutes to develop a charred crust.
  7. 7Split the pan francés rolls and toast them lightly on the grill, placing them cut-side down over the cooking sausages to catch the rising grease.
  8. 8Place the hot sausage into the warm bread, spoon chimichurri and salsa criolla over it, press the bread together, and serve.
  9. 9Drink a cold beer.

Sources

Controversies

The government of Buenos Aires banned informal stadium carts in 2019, sparking massive protests.

Our take: Taking the street carts out of the stadium experience is like taking the sausage out of the bread. It is a misguided attempt to clean up a ritual that did not need scrubbing.

Uruguay claims historical ownership over the name and creation of the choripán.

Our take: The Río de la Plata region shares a culinary soul. Trying to draw a border down the middle of a sausage sandwich is a waste of good eating time.

The term choripanero is used as a political slur to accuse rally attendees of being bribed with free food.

Our take: A hot sausage on a roll is good enough to make anyone attend a gathering, political or otherwise. Calling it bribery misses the point of basic hospitality.

Purists argue that butterflying the sausage on the grill dries out the meat.

Our take: Slicing the casing lets out some fat, but the resulting crisp on the interior meat is worth the trade-off. Butterfly your sausage.