How to make Beef Tallow
For a long time we’ve been wanting to learn How To Make Beef Tallow ourselves. Beef tallow is so simple to do, yet there are a few parts to the process to pay attention. The best part: this recipe has ONE ingredient – beef fat.
Why This Recipe works
- Shelf stable Lasts a few months on the shelf, more than a year in the fridge
- Simple Trim, heat, strain, let cool, enjoy
- One ingredient Beef fat, thats it!
- A “Good” fat Natural animal fats like tallow and lard are much healthier than highly processed alternatives.
We have been raising our own cows on pasture for more than a few years now. Since they are 100% grass-fed they tend to have less fat, but what they do have is exactly what we like! We’ve done a few batches of lard from our pigs, and it is stored in the “white gold” section of our pantry. We are excited to add beef tallow to that pantry section.
This post contains affiliate links. Here is the full disclosure.
Beef tallow is very versatile. Becky plans on making some whipped tallow balm, using a friends recipe. Tallow is an easy substitute for butter, oil, or lard, especially tasty in our Old-Fashioned Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes or for dinner, some Stuffed Butternut Squash. Beef Tallow is a healthy oil that adds a smooth and rich flavor to any meal. Mmm mmm good!
Once you know how to make beef tallow, you’ll be surprised at how many uses there are for it! It can be used for skin balms, moisturizers, candles and soaps, and even as a conditioner for wood furniture.
Ingredients
Beef fat: Use fresh beef fat from the butcher if possible. If this is not an option, use collected fat that has been saved from brisket and roast trimmings and frozen.
Time: Rendering beef fat takes time and patience. Well worth it for the final product.
Beef Tallow Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1 Gather all your fat trimmings. If they are frozen, let thaw until they are workable with a knife
STEP 2 Trim off any excess meat parts, so that only the fat is what’s left.
STEP 3 Put fat in a large pot on low. Let simmer, stirring every so often to keep the solid fat on the bottom from burning. *Note* – when simmering, slow bubbles are ok, but a rolling boil is a sign the heat is way too high. The fat should stay light in color and soft at this point.
STEP 4 As the fat renders down it will start to become liquid. Depending on the size of the fat, this could take anywhere from 6-24 hours.
STEP 5 When most of the fat has rendered (liquified), pour the liquid through a sieve and into a medium saucepan. Place on low heat again and bring the liquid only pot to a simmer.
The remaining solid fat should be placed back in the large pot on low heat. The solid fat will continue to render down to a liquid, but watch it closely as it is apt to scorch.
STEP 6 The medium saucepan should continue to simmer until any water has evaporated. Pour the liquid into a quart mason jar fitted with a funnel and over that place cheesecloth or a tea towel to remove all remaining impurities and food particles. Let cool and cover with a tight fitting lid.
STEP 7 Meanwhile, once the remaining fat in the large saucepan has rendered down, repeat step 5. Tallow can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 months. In the refrigerator it will last for up to one year. You can freeze tallow for up to 2 years.
Storage & Supplies
At room temperature, Beef Tallow will store for a few months. In the fridge, up to two years. When frozen, 2 plus years. (If you have not used your tallow after 2 years, may I suggest a new frying pan and a phone call to grandma for some new recipes 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions
Tallow is primarily made from beef or lamb fat. It can also be made from goat, bison, or deer fat, though these are often harder to come by. Beef fat is readily available in US supermarkets and butcher shops.
Beef tallow is much more than grease. Grease is often the ‘leftover’ fat and drippings from a cooked beef, pork, lamb, etc. Tallow is produced thru a specific rendering process that removes any impurities from the fat, and leaves a solid, shelf stable cooking oil with a very mild beef flavor.
Ask for the beef fat from the butcher if you take your own cows for processing. Or ask for it from a butcher or a local meat market.
Tips & Tricks
- Avoid using a slow cooker As tempting as a slow cooker sounds, the “low” setting often isn’t quite low enough for the simmer that is needed for rendering fats. Even though many recipes recommend using the slow cooker, you will get a very “beefy” smelling and tasting result.
- Allow yourself time This is not a “set it and forget it” recipe. Make sure you are available throughout the process to stir, adjust heat levels, and to just monitor the rendering process.
- You can double or triple this recipe depending on how much fat you have acquired.
If you followed this How To Make Beef Tallow recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Beef Tallow
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
Ingredients
- 10 lbs Beef Fat
Instructions
- Prepare fat by trimming off any excess meat pieces, leaving just the fat. Cut fat into small pieces. The smaller the pieces the faster the fat will render.
- Put fat in a large pot on low. Let simmer, stirring every so often to keep the solid fat on the bottom from burning. *Note* – when simmering, slow bubbles are ok, but a rolling boil is a sign the heat is way too high. The fat should stay light in color and soft at this point.
- As the fat renders down it will start to become liquid. Depending on the size of the fat, this could take anywhere from 6-24 hours. When most of the fat has rendered (liquified), pour the liquid through a sieve and into a medium saucepan. Place on low heat again and bring the liquid only pot to a simmer.
- The remaining solid fat should be placed back in the large pot on low heat. The solid fat will continue to render down to a liquid, but watch it closely as it is apt to scorch. The reason for separating out the rendered fat early is it helps you get a very pure two quarts that have hardly any "beefy" smell and flavor. What is left rendering in the large pot will likely make at least another quart but it will be stronger because it has set in the fat for longer.
- The medium saucepan should continue to simmer until any water has evaporated. Pour the liquid into a quart mason jar fitted with a funnel and over that place cheesecloth or a tea towel to remove all remaining impurities and food particles. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, once the remaining fat in the large saucepan has rendered down, repeat step 5.
- Begin using immediately. Tallow is shelf stable for 3-4 months. If stored in the fridge, tallow will last more than a year. If frozen, 2-3 years.
Notes
- Let the tallow simmer with the lid off. This helps any water evaporate, leaving the pure tallow in the pot
- When simmering, slow bubbles are ok, but a rolling boil is a sign the heat is way too high.Â
- For this recipe, we used 10 lbs of fat trimmings. After rendering we ended up with 3 quart jars and 1 pint jar of tallow. Final weight came in at around 5lbs of tallow.
- If you want to speed up the rendering process, you can use a meat grinder to get the fat as small as possible or an immersion blender on step 3 after the fat has rendered substantially.Â
- The first separation of tallow is mild and perfect for use in skincare. The remainder is stronger and best used in cooking.Â
- If you aren’t sure if you got all the water evaporated, store the tallow in the refrigerator or freezer. It will mold quickly at room temperature if there is still water in it.Â
