This is a type of smoked beef sausage that’s associated with Texas BBQ. Once you’re done here, they are fully cooked, but if you really want them to taste great, you’re going to want to sear them on the grill for a bit before serving.
Now, they are called Texas Hot Links, that’s because of the cayenne in here. You can leave it off if you want. They do have a kick, but it’s not going to burn your face off, but still, you can leave it off without hurting anything.
In the future, I think I’m going to add a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar to the mixture to help it bind; every other sausage I’ve made has involved vinegar, and I think it improves the texture. This comes out with a texture closer to a kebab than a sausage, I think the vinegar would help.
Ingredients
4 pounds beef chuck, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons bacon grease (optional, I only used it because my chuck was surprisingly lean but it worked out great)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons cayenne (optional but recommended)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Casings for stuffing
Directions
One of the great things about making sausage is that the directions are simple.
First, feed the chuck into your meat grinder using a fine plate. Grind it all up into a bowl, add the bacon fat if using, and set aside.
Mix all the other ingredients in a separate bowl and mix into a slurry. Add it to the ground meat and mix thoroughly. The easiest way I’ve found to do it is just to use your hands, preferably while wearing rubber gloves. Mix until well combined and let sit covered in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, go ahead and stuff into casings, if you can. If you can’t stuff it, that’s okay, but you’re going to lose some of the flavor here, as some of the fat will render off while you smoke it. It’s still pretty good, but it comes out dryer and with a less coherent texture; again, like a kabob.
Smoke at 225 until the internal temperature hits 145; you’re done! Pop them off the smoker. You can eat them as is, but they really are better if you grill them first.
eatbensmeat 