- Jan 6, 2011
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Hot Links Texas Style
Chef Willie’s Recipe
Started with a 8.25 lb. butt. Trimmed the fat and de-boned.I ended up with 6.5 lbs. of usable meat and fat.
After trimming the meat and cutting into about one inch cubes I put it in the freezer to get really cold, pretty firm (also put grinder head assembly in also)
I mixed the slurry using Chef Willie’s recipe.
WILLIES TEXAS STYLE HOT LINKS
5 # PORK BUTT
12 ounce good Beer
2 Tbl black pepper
2 Tbl crushed red pepper (pizza pepper)
2 Tbl cayenne
2 Tbl paprika
3 Tbl kosher salt ( You may want to reduce salt if using TQ)
2 Tbl mustard seeds
¼ cup garlic, minced
1 tsp Cure #1
1 tsp ground coriander
Mix everything together into a slurry
Only changes I made were recalculating the amounts for 6.5 lbs.
And I used TQ instead of Cure #1 (because I have plenty of TQ)
Note: TQ and Cure #1 are not the same; Measurements are different 1.5 Teaspoons per pound of TQ for ground meat.
I ground meat through the largest dia. Plate first, mixed the slurry into the meat and back in the freezer to firm up again.
After firming for the second time I ground again using the smallest dia. plate then back in the fridge till tomorrow’s stuffing. Rinsed hog casings and soaking.
I did a fry test to see how the flavor was going to be. Wow ! This is going to be great. My wife loved it and she is not a big Hot Link fan.
After resting overnight in the fridge we are ready for stuffing.
Since I am doing Hot Links I decided to put a few drops of Red food color in the hog casing water just to give them a little red tint. Loaded up the stuffer, slid on the hog casings, and were making hot links. From the time I filled the stuffer twice (I don’t fill it too full) since I knew I couldn’t get 6.5 lbs. into a 5lb. stuffer, doing the stuffing and cleaning up everything it took 25 min.
I let the links rest for about an hour and a half on the counter under a fan to bring down the temp and dry the casings a bit.
I used Lump Charcoal and Pecan chunks for this smoke
Put links on the smoker (no smoke) smoker temp was 90 ° let them go for an hour.
Bumped temp to about to 105° added a couple of pecan chunks for another hour
Added more lump and pecan, bumped temp to 120° for another hour
Bumped temp to 140 ° for another hour added a little more lump
Bumped temp up to 160 ° for an hour then to 190 to finish.
Internal temps were 168 ° and 171 °
Pulled links off smoker to cool down.
Note; this is a very important step “DO NOT SKIP THIS”
You have to sample a link !!! WOW great stuff !!!
After cooling I vacuum sealed and into the freezer “ Had to take #2 son a half dozen”
8.25 lb. Butt
I deboned and trimmed the fat
Cutting it into 1" cubes
Meat and fat cut up I mixed about 1/2 the fat back in
Grinder ready to go
First grind with large plate
Mixed seasoning Slurry into the meat, Back in the freezer to firm up a bit
Second grind Mmmmm looking and smelling good. In the Fridge for an over night nap
Hog casings rinsed and ready to go
Getting everything ready to stuff
Stuffer full, casing on ---- And ready to go
Here is a picture of the little gem's
About a double handful of lump to get started
Charcoal Lighter
Both dampers almost closed
Links On
90º for the first hour no smoke just heat
105 º for another hour, gradually bumping the temp every hour
And finished
My first Hot Links, Flavor is outstanding
After eating a couple and taking a half dozen to my son, vacuumed sealed the rest
Thanks for Looking, Easy to make and way better than store bought
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