menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Texas barbecue’s on-again, off-again romance with beef fat? It’s back on.

2 7
28.09.2025

If you ate barbecue in Southeast Texas sometime between the 1960s and late 1980s, then you are familiar with grease balls.

Also known as “juicy links,” “garlic bombs,” or just “beef links” these were sausages made from ground brisket or clod, beef fat (tallow), whole chunks of fresh garlic, chili powder, paprika and other spices, all of which was stuffed into a beef casing (known as a “bung”).

GUIDE: Houston's best barbecue joints

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

To the uninitiated, this admittedly unappetizing description discouraged many everyday diners from ordering these links, except by the most adventurous eaters in barbecue fandom.

But for those who did order them, a truly unique........

© Houston Chronicle