Beef hot links?

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gearloose

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 25, 2017
158
65
Southeast corner of Kansas
I love hot links!  (doesn't everyone?) But I'm having a hard time finding a beef hot link recipe.  Nothing against pork, but I crave a beef hot link.

A couple of weeks ago I made spicy beef snack sticks using this recipe:  http://chopandbrew.com/recipes/spicy-beef-stick-snack-stick-recipe/

I really liked the results and am considering using that recipe as a basis for my hot links.  What should I consider changing, other than the obvious casing size?

I'm thinking it will need a second grind through a finer plate.

Will I need to add some dry milk? (I have a box of soy binder, but it is several years old and probably needs thrown out.)

Maybe a little more water if I add dry milk?

Any thoughts and suggestions?

Is there a beef hot link recipe on site that I missed?

Thanks!
 
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I used the search engine before posting.  I'll admit that I did not read every single post in every thread, but a scan of top thread titles leads me to believe that everyone uses pork in their hot links.  If there's a beef hot link recipe in there somewhere, it eludes me.
Hot Links are a Style of sausage with no one way to make it. Pick a recipe that sounds good and make it with 80/20 or 70/30 beef. With a few exceptions, any sausage can be made with any meat. Grandpa made Kielbasa, traditionally all Pork, Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Marjoram, but put venison, rabbit, duck, goose, beef, whatever was around...JJ
 
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Hot Links are a Style of sausage with no one way to make it. Pick a recipe that sounds good and make it with 80/20 or 70/30 beef. With a few exceptions, any sausage can be made with any meat. Grandpa made Kielbasa, traditionally all Pork, Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Marjoram, but put venison, rabbit, duck, goose, beef, whatever was around...JJ
Thanks for that advice.  Speaking of Kielbasa... I love the Kielbasa I made last week.  I'm considering taking that recipe, using 80/20 ground beef, and adding cayenne & paprika to make a 'hot kielbasa.'
 
Ok, I've decided to go with Willie's Texas style hot links recipe using 80/20 ground chuck and dialing back the cayenne & red pepper flakes to about 25% less than the original recipe.  I like hot, but this recipe looks volcanic.  I'm mixing spices and meat in the morning.  There's rain in the forecast for tomorrow, so that gives me Tuesday with clear skies to do the smoking.
 
I've got the spices and salt+cure mixed and sealed in an airtight container.  Man, this mix smells a lot like some of the BBQ rubs I've experimented with....a whole lot.  I can see rubbing this mixture on a brisket (maybe swap the mustard seeds for ground mustard powder.)

I also found a Texas hot link recipe in my archives from 2003 from a guy using the handle 'bigwheel' on one of the old BBQ forums.  It's very similar to Willie's recipe, but Bigwheel also included ground bay leaf, anise & thyme.
 
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Thanks for that advice.  Speaking of Kielbasa... I love the Kielbasa I made last week.  I'm considering taking that recipe, using 80/20 ground beef, and adding cayenne & paprika to make a 'hot kielbasa.'
That would be great! l will try that myself. Only half my crew eats anything hot so l will go heavy on paprika so there is a distinct color difference. Can't have mom gettin' a surprise.
wife.gif
...JJ
 
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Here we go!  10 Lb. of Willie's Texas Style Beef hot links.

Recipe mods:

only 3 Tbsp ea. of Cayenne & Red Pepper flakes.  True to the doubled recipe would have used 4 Tbsp. ea.

I noticed that there is no binder, either soy or NFDM, in Willie's recipe.  I stuck with the original recipe and didn't add any.  I hope I don't end up with crumbly links.  No Lone Star beer on hand, so had to use Miller MGD.  Shouldn't ruin it...
tongue.gif
 
 
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Here we go!  10 Lb. of Willie's Texas Style Beef hot links.

Recipe mods:

only 3 Tbsp ea. of Cayenne & Red Pepper flakes.  True to the doubled recipe would have used 4 Tbsp. ea.

I noticed that there is no binder, either soy or NFDM, in Willie's recipe.  I stuck with the original recipe and didn't add any.  I hope I don't end up with crumbly links.  No Lone Star beer on hand, so had to use Miller MGD.  Shouldn't ruin it...
tongue.gif
 
I think you'll be fine without the binders.  Just watch your temps so you don't get fat out and I'm sure it will hold together.  I just did a pastrami loaf earlier this month and I intentionally omitted the binders and it held with NO issues.  So something stuffed in a case should hold as well if it was 80/20 and the fat doesn't melt.

Best of luck! :)
 
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They look good, how did they taste?  Was it in the ballpark of the flavor you were looking for?
 
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