Texas Hot Links
A robust beef chuck sausage, commonly known as a Texas hot link, can be prepared by smoking, poaching, or grilling.
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Instructions
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Soak hog casings in cold water overnight; before use, untangle, rinse to check for holes, and cut out any damaged sections, then keep in ice water.
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Combine salt, cayenne, paprika, sugar, mustard powder, pepper, coriander seeds, and chili powder in a small bowl.
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Clean beef chuck, removing fat and bone, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
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Freeze the beef cubes uncovered for 30-60 minutes until the surface is crunchy but the interior is very cold.
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Grind the chilled beef through a medium plate using a prepared meat grinder.
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Place ground meat in a cold bowl and open-freeze again for 30-60 minutes.
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Whisk the dry spice mixture with ice water and yellow mustard to form a slurry.
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Combine the cold ground meat with the spice slurry in a large basin and knead until creamy; reserve a small test portion and refrigerate the rest.
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Fry the test portion in a nonstick skillet until cooked, then taste and adjust the salt in the main sausage mixture if needed.
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Prepare a chilled sausage stuffer, load it with the sausage mixture, and thread a casing onto the horn.
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Crank a small amount of meat into the casing, pinch out air, and tie a knot at the beginning.
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Continue cranking to fill the casing slowly and evenly, leaving 6 inches unstuffed at the end; do not overfill.
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Form links by pinching the sausage every 6 inches and twisting, alternating forward and backward rotations, then tie a knot at the end of the coil.
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Refrigerate the finished sausages overnight to allow them to settle.
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Cook the sausages by poaching, grilling, smoking, or baking.