Every Texan knows that Pittsburgh is the undisputed Hot Link capital of the world
http://www.pittsburghotlink.com/ ole Earl C. can't touch these wieners nor mine either
From the site
The history of hot links in Pittsburg exceed 100 years.
In 1897, Mr. Charlie Hasselback, of German descent, brought a recipe to Camp County.
There were a few hot link joints in Camp County....
Hasselback>O.O. Smith> Franklin>closed
Henry James>Francis James>Bennie Warrick>Potter>closed
Barney Warrick>G.Warrick/Jimmy Brooks>Gene & Madeline Warrick to
Pittsburg Hot Links
Hasselback was first located in the "Old Maddox Building" on Main Street, and he sold the links over the counter for preparation at home. Mr. Hasselback built an addition to his building in 1918 and began serving cooked links over the counter.
The "back street" is where you could find the Hot Links...
The surroundings were not elaborate; wooden counters and benches, the links were served with crackers on heavy market paper, and special hot sauce was provided in soda water bottles. Cold drinks were offered in many assorted flavors. . The links were 2 for .05 cents, 5 for .10 cents, and a dozen for a quarter. You could eat them there or carry them out, a custom that became popular with the housewife. Word about the links traveled fast. Pittsburg had two railroad lines and before long the crews on the trains scheduled their stopovers in Pittsburg and walked up the alley behind his place of business for their noon and early evening meals. Truckers and traveling salesmen also soon started coming. People from other towns liked the links so much they tried to match the flavor of the links in grocery stores and meat markets but were unsuccessful.
This part of the story may need a little help, but from my recollection:
There have been many Hot Link Joints in Pittsburg. They all started with a recipe brought to Camp County by Charlie Hasselback.
O.O. Smith worked with Mr. Hasselback. It is not clear on whether Mr. Smith actually owned the store or not, but Johnny Franklin eventually took over the store. Franklin sold out but the business eventually closed in the 1990's. In 2013 the building burned.
Henry James had a Hot Link Joint on W. Marshall Street. Barney Warrick worked with Mr. James for years. When Mr. James died, his daughter Francis took over and Barney Warrick started his own business behind the Busy B near the Railroad Depot. Francis James sold to Bennie Warrick, The Busy B went out of business so Barney Warrick and Shelton Warrick worked with Bennie Warrick. Bennie Warrick eventually sold to Earl Potter. Gene Warrick had returned from the Navy and started a business with his dad, Barney Warrick.
At this point, there were three businesses in town that served hot links.
Potter's closed around the late 1970's. Barney Warrick died and Gene Warrick went into partnership with Jimmy Brooks in the 1970's. They started the B&W Meat Company and JB's Hot Links. In the 1980's Gene Warrick bought out the businesses and incorporated changing the name to Pittsburg Hot Link Restaurant, Inc. and the manufacturing company was called Pittsburg Hot Link Packers, Inc. Mr. Warrick bought James/Potter building and remodeled for the current location of Pittsburg Hot Link Restaurant. Gene & Madeline ran the business for many years. Hazelle Cowley (Warrick's sister) came to work with her brother for many years. At one point, Mr. Warrick opened a pool hall next door to the restaurant with a window for ordering food. Gene Warrick passed away in 2002. His wife Madeline and children continue to run the businesses.
Today the Hot Links of Pittsburg, Texas are known as the PITTSBURG Brand Hot Links. They are served on butcher paper with crisp saltine crackers and there's a bottle of hot sauce on the table. Even though times have changed, diets have changed, people have changed, Pittsburg Hot Links remains the same. They are just as greasy and just as delicious as always. And we are still located on the "back street" of town. They have been described as East Texas Caviar and many other names.... but one thing is for certain, if you ever try them you will begin to crave them... even if you don't quite like them at first. They grow on you.
How about a recipe for the finest hot links that I can make myself?
Bigwheel's Genuine Texas Hotlinks
AKA: Jeff Wheeler
6-7 lbs. Boston Butt
1 bottle beer
2 T. coarse ground black pepper
2 T. crushed red pepper
2 T. Cayenne
2 T. Hungarian Paprika
2 T. Morton«s Tender Quick
1 T. Kosher Salt
1 T. Whole Mustard Seeds
1/4 cup minced fresh garlic
1 T. granulated garlic
1 T. MSG
1 t. ground bay leaves
1 t. whole anise seeds
1 t. coriander
1 t. ground thyme
Mix all the spices, cure, and garlic into the beer
and place in refrigerator while you cut up the meat
to fit in the grinder.
Pour the spiced beer over the meat and mix well.
Run meat and spice mixture through the fine plate
and mix again. Stuff into medium hog casings.
Smoke or slow grill till they are done. Wrap in
a piece of bread and slap on the mustard heavy.