How To Make Beef Tallow: [IMPROVE YOUR GRILLING EXPERIENCE]

Anyone familiar with smoking beef knows about tallow, as it is common among BBQ enthusiasts. Beef tallow is simply shelf-stable rendered fat from the fat surrounding brisket steaks, ribs, and roasts.

To make beef tallow, follow this step-by-step guide;

• Obtain the beef fat
• Cut the beef fat into sizable pieces
• Put the small pieces into a stockpot
• Render the fat
• Remove from the heat
• Store in an airtight container

When making beef tallow, you will need several essential ingredients, which include a stockpot, food processor, beef fat, coffee filters, mason jars, and a fine mesh strainer. Read on for more information on making the coveted beef tallow.

How To Make Beef Tallow

Whether it is your first time making beef tallow or trying to sharpen your skills, this step-by-step guide will make your work very simple.

  1. Source Quality Beef Fat

Beef fat is one of the essential ingredients you will need to complete this process successfully. However, it is crucial to understand that the quality of the fat is never the same, which is why you should source it from a reliable store. Glass-feed cows will always offer you the best beef fats. One way to get beef fat is to ask your butcher to sell you the discarded fat trimming.

 2. Cut The Beef Fat Into Small Portions

After sourcing the beef fat, the next step will be to slice the fat into small portions. You can use a food processor or a sharp knife to cut the fat into small chunks. If meat is still fixed on the beef fat, ensure that you remove them before advancing to the next stage.

 3. Put The Trimmed Fats Into A Stockpot

Place all the small pieces of fats into a multi-cooker or a large Stockport. If you do not have any of those, feel free to use a cast-iron Dutch oven or a slow cooker.

 4. Render The Beef Fat

The next step is to simmer the fat in the Stockport on low heat for about 4 hours while checking it periodically and stirring every thirty to forty minutes. You will notice small bubbles forming as the fat renders. Reduce the heat to prevent it from boiling while scraping your spoon or spatula on the bottom of the pan. This is to ensure that the fat does not burn.

 5. Remove From The Heat.

After confirming that the rendering process is complete, it is time to remove the fat from the heat source. By now, all the white pieces of fat have melted, and all you can see are browned, crispy cracklings. That is a sign that your beef fat tallow is ready.

 6. Strain The Liquid

Let the liquefied beef fat cool for about10 minutes before using a fine-mesh strainer to strain the rendered fat into a bowl. Use a coffee filter to ensure that you remove even the most minor pieces of the rendered fat.

 7. Store The Beef Fat Tallow

The last step is to ensure that you store your beef tallow in a mason jar or any airtight glass container. Proper storage of the beef tallow is crucial because it helps to extend the shelf life of the tallow, especially if you do not intend to use it anytime soon. You can store beef tallow at room temperature for several months and up to one year in a fridge.

What Is Beef Tallow Good For?

Beef tallow is popular among BBQ enthusiasts because it has numerous uses in the kitchen. Some of the ways that you can use beef tallow includes;

• Coating raw vegetables when roasting them
• Pan sautéing vegetable
• Deep flying different delicacies, including French fries and fried chicken
• Serves as an ingredient during the preparation of rich pemmican
• It can serve as a perfect substitute for butter or vegetable oil when making savory dishes
• You can use beef tallow instead of lard when making biscuits or other savory baked goods
• Yorkshire puddings

How Long Should I Smoke Beef Tallow?

Smoking beef tallow does not require much time, 30-60 minutes, depending on your palate. Some people smoke the beef fat for about an hour before rendering it. Using well-smoked beef tallow is a sure way of adding a fantastic flavor to anything you cook.

Is It Healthy To Cook With Beef Tallow?

There is nothing wrong with cooking using beef tallow. In any case, beef tallow is healthy as it contains vitamins D, E, K, A, and B1, which are essential in the human body. Generally, using beef tallow in your cooking has numerous health benefits, including;

• May reduce inflammation – Beef tallow has conjugated linoleic acid, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.
• May assist in protecting the body from infections – The beef tallow contains a fatty acid known as palmitoleic acid with excellent antimicrobial properties that may help keep infections away.
• Good for the nervous system – Another health benefit of beef tallow is its high-level choline, which supports the nervous system. Notably, healthy fatty acids are essential in protecting nerve cells.
• May help in Weight Loss – Consuming beef tallow can help burn body fats. Research has shown that consuming healthy fat stimulates the production of glucagon, which signals the body to burn fat for energy.
• Soft skin – Everyone wants soft and glowing skin, and the saturated fat in tallow nourishes the skin to keep it smooth. Further, you can use beef tallow on your skin as moisture.
• Protect the body against free radical damage – Consuming beef tallow is rich in vitamin E, which helps protect the body from free radicals. Further, when you consume beef tallow, you avoid the free radicals found in other types of vegetable oil.

Can You Eat Raw Beef Tallow?

Beef Tallow is another word for rendered beef fat. In other words, the fat has been simmering to become a usable kitchen product. Therefore, you can comfortably eat raw beef tallow as long as it is properly stored and has not been contaminated.

The consumption of beef tallow has significant health benefits to the human body as it contains choline, good cholesterol, vitamin D AE K, Selenium, Omega-3, and essential minerals that the body requires for good health.

What Is The Difference Between Tallow And Lard?

You are probably wondering what the difference between tallow and lard is. If that is the case, then you are not alone, as that is one of the frequently asked questions.

While tallow and lard are rendered fats that have existed for a long time, they do have their distinctions. The main difference between the two is based on their sources, whereby the lards originate in pigs while tallow fat is sourced from beef.

What Is The Best Way To Purify Tallow?

Although tallow purification is an optional step when making beef tallow, you might find it necessary. The purpose of tallow purification is to ensure that you remove all the impurities from the beef fat and make it whiter and finer. Further, purification is more important if you do not want the odor to be off.

To purify the tallow, divide it into large chunks before adding water mixed with salt. The salt will draw all the remaining impurities. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes before using cheesecloth to strain and wait for it to harden.

Final Thoughts

If you have always thought that beef tallow is not suitable for your health, you may need to consider your thoughts because that is incorrect. On the contrary, beef tallow has numerous health benefits for the body.

Fortunately, making smoked beef tallow is easy and will not take much of your precious time. Further, the flavor and the additional benefits, including affordability, are worth the attention and the time you will invest in making the beef tallow.