You may think you know how much chorizo you need to make food for customers coming to your food truck, but the switch from running a permanent restaurant kitchen to a food truck is not always that easy in terms of gauging how much food you'll need on hand. You already know that customer numbers can vary daily—that part won't change—but in the truck, your storage space will be limited, and fresh chorizo isn't going to remain good to use for that long. You've got to figure out ways to keep enough chorizo and other perishable ingredients on hand without wasting any.
Limit the Fresh Chorizo You Buy
Until you're absolutely sure of how much you'll be using daily, limit the amount of fresh chorizo you buy from your supplier at any one time. You want to be sure you're using all of it up. While you could freeze the leftover chorizo (more on buying frozen chorizo in a bit), that takes up an unexpected amount of storage space. Instead, order smaller amounts more frequently until you have a handle on average customer numbers and the demand for dishes with chorizo in them.
Get Frozen Chorizo to Use in Combinations
Freezing chorizo is a bit like freezing hard cheeses. It's still good to use in combinations with other food, but its texture can sometimes change depending on how long it was frozen for. However, having frozen chorizo on hand for dishes in which it's combined with a lot of other foods (e.g., chili or a dish where the chorizo is supposed to be the main star) allows you to have at least some chorizo for some orders if you run out of fresh chorizo. But, as mentioned, you need to calculate what you can put in the freezer storage space carefully.
Think About Buying Chorizo With and Without the Casing
As you plan your fresh chorizo purchases, consider buying it both with and without the casing. You have to remove the casing when you use the chorizo, but that casing does keep it nicely together in a sliceable shape. Have some chorizo in the casing on hand for slicing and some loose chorizo on hand for dishes where you don't need it to be in that sliceable shape, and you'll eliminate at least a little casing waste.
Speak to suppliers about what they offer and how often they can deliver, or if you'll have to pick up your chorizo supplies. After a few weeks, you'll have a better idea of what you need to have and in what form, allowing for more specific ordering.
Contact a local pork chorizo supplier to learn more.
