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Texas hot links
Spicy, peppery smoked links in the Central Texas tradition: a 75/25 mix, plenty of coarse black pepper and cayenne, and a little more salt and binder than a basic smoked sausage.
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25%fat
2.2%total salt
26.5 gspices per kg
86″ links per kg
Ingredients
Beef chuck or brisket trim with pork or beef fat is traditional. An all-beef or beef and pork mix both work. A coarse grind (about 6–8 mm) suits hot links.
| Ingredient | Per 1 kg meat | Per 5 lb meat | % of meat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat block (lean + fat), 25% fat | 1 kg | 5 lb (2.27 kg) | 100% |
| Salt (plain) | 19.8 g | 44.8 g (1.6 oz) | 1.98% |
| Cure #1 (Prague Powder #1, 6.25% sodium nitrite) | 2.4 g | 5.4 g | 0.24% |
| · Coarse black pepper | 12 g | 27.2 g | 12 g/kg |
| · Cayenne | 3.5 g | 7.9 g | 3.5 g/kg |
| · Paprika | 3.5 g | 7.9 g | 3.5 g/kg |
| · Garlic powder | 3.5 g | 7.9 g | 3.5 g/kg |
| · Mustard powder | 2.5 g | 5.7 g | 2.5 g/kg |
| · Onion powder | 1.5 g | 3.4 g | 1.5 g/kg |
| Milk powder | 50 g | 113 g (4 oz) | 5% |
| Ice-cold water | 100 g | 227 g (8 oz) | 10% |
Makes about 8 links (6″ / 15 cm, in 32–35 mm hog casing) per kg of meat.
Curing salt by country (per 1 kg of meat): USA 2.4 g of Cure #1 (150 ppm, under the USDA limit of 156 ppm). Ireland/EU 1.8 g of Cure #1 or 19.2 g of European curing salt (115 ppm, under the EU limit of 80 mg/kg nitrite). UK 1.8 g of Cure #1 in Basic mode. Linkulator picks the right one for where you are. How much curing salt?
Method
- Chill the meat, fat and grinder parts until very cold, close to freezing (0–2 °C / 32–35 °F).
- Grind the lean and fat through a coarse (6–8 mm) plate.
- Weigh the salt, curing salt, spices and milk powder on a scale. Weigh the curing salt on a gram scale, never by spoon.
- Add them to the meat with the ice-cold water and mix for 2–5 minutes, until the mix is tacky and sticks to your hand.
- Stuff into 32–35 mm hog casings, pushing out air pockets, and twist into 6″ (15 cm) links.
- Rest the links uncovered in the fridge overnight (at least 12 hours). The curing salt needs this time, and the casings dry for a better colour.
- Smoke low, around 70–80 °C (160–180 °F), raising the heat gradually. Cook until the centre of the thickest link reaches your cooking temperature: at least 71 °C (160 °F, the USDA minimum for ground meat); 75 °C is the usual target in Ireland. Check with a probe thermometer.
- Cool the links in iced water to stop the cooking and keep the casings snappy, then refrigerate. Reheat to serve.
- Use coarse ("butcher's grind") black pepper. Fine pepper tastes harsher at this amount.
- Cayenne varies a lot in heat. Start at the amount here, then adjust it in Advanced mode next time.
Safety: curing salt is toxic in large amounts. Weigh it on a gram scale and keep it away from children. The cure amounts here follow each country's rules as Linkulator applies them; check your own sheet before you weigh. More on safety.
Work it out for your batch
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