Sandman, I love Southside sausage also know as Elgin Sausage or Elgin Hot Gut. It is the sausage I try to copy when I make sausage at home. It is an old style German beef sausage (85% beef and 15% pork) course ground and mixed with one part kosher salt, two parts 16 mesh black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Then smoked with post oak just like Texas brisket. That's the entire recipe. It has a little kick to it, but I wouldn't call it very spicy hot. Even Jaxon ate some and liked it and he doesn't like spicy foods. They are supposed to sell it at HEB, but I haven't found it there yet.
Southside Market is about 125 miles away in Elgin or 30 miles from Franklin's in Austin, but I go there for lunch about once a month. Before I started making my own "Elgin sausage", I would bring home a 25 lb box and keep it in the freezer. It tastes just as good when you warm it up in the microwave. I brought a box to the first and also the second Fall Gathering. It didn't last very long. There are a lot of members here that have eaten the Elgin sausage so they could also chime in with their thoughts. I think even Turtle has eaten there.
