Chorizo By Dos Mamacitas

Sometimes we are hoarders.

Rendered bacon fat, the collagen-rich juices from roasting a chicken, and the fragrant oil left in a Spanish tortilla's wake: Each should be saved, its concentrated flavor used to fortify a future dish.

But never have we salvaged drippings so eagerly as with the red-gold slick that Dos Mamacitas veal chorizo leaves behind after cooking.

The chorizo, which debuted last month, comes from a Wisconsin-based beef and lamb producer and uses veal in lieu of the traditional pork. The ground meat is flavored with a generous dose of garlic, along with smoked paprika, onion, Mexican oregano and dried chile powders, and packed without casings.

Cooked over a low flame, the sausage caramelizes beautifully, casting off a generous amount of savory, lightly spicy fat.

We've tucked nubs of the meat into corn tortillas with a lime-cumin cabbage slaw. We then used the pan drippings to cook the leftover slaw the next day, adding a drizzle of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of pepitas for a rich wilted salad. Add a glug of olive oil to the pan before cooking to boost the flavorful yield, and use the seasoned oil to scramble eggs or dress pasta.

Find Dos Mamacitas chorizo ($3 for a 1-pound package) at Fresh Farms, Caputo's, Fairplay Foods and Strack & Van Til.