Recipe of the Month – Homemade Beef Tallow

Homemade Beef Tallow

Serves: Many!

 

Similar to many people these days, my wife and I occasionally watch reels. We do not really like the psychological mind suck that comes with it, but there are a few reels here and there that are both interesting and useful tools in life. Beef Tallow has become one of the most hip, nutritional, seed oil alternatives recently. As a Registered Dietitian, who looks purely at the science, I do not see a huge issue with many different fats, including both beef ballow and seed oils. Both hold a relative nutritional value and both can lead to potential negative outcomes. It completely depends on the amount consumed, how it is consumed (i.e. in extremely processed foods), medical history, and the overall lifestyle of the individual. With that being said, they both also have their culinary uses. The one bit of advice I hope those who read this take, is: “Do not believe everything the internet and people who make money off the internet say.” Science and the human body are much more complex that many influencers will give credit to.

 

With all of that being said, there are several ways you can locate the fat for this recipe. I am unsure if Farmers Market Vendors will bring fat to the market to sell, but if you ask them, I am sure they can bring some for you. You likely can go to a butcher and ask for fat, or if you buy a larger cut like my wife and I did, when cutting into steaks, we were able to get some excess fat off to make into tallow. In my first attempt I overcooked the beef fat so it had a little bit of a burnt flavor, but it still worked! In my second attempt more recently, the same cut of beef we got as the first time, barely had any fat on it, so it did not make as much, but it still looked as though we still got a similar amount of tallow. I plan to make an episode on the podcast about the trends of fats and find some research to show it's not as straightforward as some influencers say. Happy Tallowing and until next time! p.s. Yes, it is one ingredient!!

 

Ingredients:

 

• 1lb (or more) Beef Fat

 

**Disclaimer: Recipes for cooking do not have to be exact in quantity or ingredient. If you have a different oil, type of salt, or any other ingredient, please use what you have. Enjoy!

 

Instructions:

 

Step 1: If the fat is not already off the meat, remove it carefully from the meat, without taking meat with it. If you have the fat by itself, you are ready to go.

 

Step 2: Put the fat in a sauce pot appropriately sized for the amount of fat that you have. And cook on low. (I start on medium high just to get the pan warm, then move it to low).

 

Step 3: Continue to monitor and ensure it is not sticking to the bottom. You can use a spatula or tongs to move the fat around. Eventually you will see “liquid” fat at the bottom of the pan. You might want to cover slightly in case fat starts to shoot out of the pan, but do not fully cover, the water needs to be released from the fat into the air.

 

Step 4: When there is a fair amount of liquid and the fat starts to change color you are almost done. Ensure you stop it before the fat turns dark and smells like it's burnt (which is what happened to me my first time doing it). I have only done this twice and it is something that you will need to learn how to do perfectly more than likely.

 

Step 5: Once done, use a strainer to get the big chunks of fat out and cheese cloth or a paper towel to get the small bits of burnt fat residue out. Once “double” strained and it looks clear, move to a glass container and let cool. And yes the straining needs to take place while the tallow is hot!! Let cool down and store in the refrigerator. Cover once completely cooled down. It should be a white color (from my experience).

 

Step 6: Enjoy!