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Hot Links
Coarse-ground, heavily spiced beef-and-pork sausages, a staple of Texas and East Texas BBQ joints.
Hot links are the third member of the Texas BBQ trinity (with brisket and ribs). Coarsely ground beef and pork, heavily seasoned with cayenne, paprika, garlic, and black pepper, stuffed into natural casings and smoked alongside the brisket. The East Texas version skews finer and spicier; the Central Texas version is coarser with a snappier casing. Served two links to a butcher paper sheet with white bread, pickles, and onions.
Why it matters
A great hot link is the test of a Texas joint — sausage is harder to fake than a sliced brisket.
Related Terms
Packer Brisket
A whole untrimmed brisket with both the lean 'flat' and the fatty 'point' muscles still attached.
Dalmatian Rub
The legendary Central Texas brisket rub: just coarse black pepper and kosher salt, nothing else.
Pitmaster
The person responsible for tending the fire and meat at a BBQ joint, competition team, or backyard cook.