Texas-Style Smoked Sausage Links from Scratch

Ingredients

• 3 lbs pork shoulder (Boston butt), cubed and chilled
• 1 lb beef chuck, cubed and chilled

• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder (or 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• ½ tsp dried coriander
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• ½ cup ice water (keep it ice cold)

• Natural hog casings, 32–35mm (available at butcher shops or online)

• Post oak or hickory

Instructions

1. Prep and chill the meat. Cut pork shoulder and beef chuck into 1-inch cubes. Spread on a sheet pan and freeze for 30–45 minutes — the meat should be very cold (nearly frozen at the edges) but not solid. Cold fat grinds cleanly instead of smearing, which is critical for the right texture. Warm fat = mushy sausage.
2. Soak the casings. Rinse natural hog casings under cold water, inside and out. Soak in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes. Thread one end over your tap and run cold water through to check for holes. Discard any sections with tears or pinholes.
3. Grind the meat. Using a meat grinder with the coarse plate (⅜-inch), grind the pork and beef together into a chilled bowl. For authentic Texas texture, keep the grind coarse — fine-ground sausage is a different animal entirely. Do not over-grind.
4. Season and mix. Combine all seasoning mix ingredients. Sprinkle over the ground meat. Add ice water. Mix by hand (or with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer on low) for 60–90 seconds — until the mixture becomes slightly sticky and the fat starts to bind with the protein. You should see white streaks of fat distributed throughout. Do not overmix.
5. Chill again. Cover the seasoned mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cold sausage stuffs more easily and holds its shape better.
6. Stuff the casings. Thread the soaked casing onto your sausage stuffer tube. Stuff firmly — air pockets are the enemy. Form into 6-inch links by twisting in alternating directions (twist link 1 forward, link 2 backward). This locks them in place. Refrigerate stuffed links uncovered for 1 hour to dry the casings — this improves smoke adhesion and casing snap.
7. Preheat the smoker to 180–200°F. Start low for the first hour to develop smoke flavor before the proteins fully set. Use post oak or hickory — assertive, classic Texas.
8. Smoke the links. Hang or lay sausages on the grates with space between each link for smoke to circulate. Smoke at 180–200°F for 1 hour, then increase to 225°F for another hour, or until internal temperature reaches 155°F. Poach in water at 170°F for 10 minutes if you want extra juicy links — optional but traditional.
9. Rest before serving. Remove from smoker, rest 10 minutes. The casings will tighten and snap when you cut them. Serve on butcher paper with yellow mustard and sliced white onion — or on a bun with jalapeños and pickles.

🔥 Pitmaster Tips

• ▶Keep everything cold throughout the entire process — warm fat ruins texture.
• ▶Don't skip the dry casing rest before smoking; it builds the snap.
• ▶For a spicier sausage, double the cayenne and red pepper flakes.
• ▶Batch-freeze extra links uncooked on a sheet pan, then transfer to bags — cook from frozen on the smoker by adding 30–45 minutes to cook time.