Beef tallow or rendered beef fat is the bovine equivalent of lard. It’s solid at room temperature and keeps well in a closed container. If you have a big cut of meat with a lot of excess fat, save the trimmings and make your own. Even if you have a small amount of trimmed beef fat, you can save it tightly wrapped in the freezer until you have enough to make it worth your while.
Rendering fat is not difficult just time consuming. The resulting tallow can be used anywhere you would use lard or shortening. It makes a great fat for frying because of its high smoke point. Keep it in a tightly closed jar in your refrigerator up to a few months. Why not make use of the fat you already paid for? Here’s the process in a few, simple steps.
Simple steps to making beef tallow
- Trim the fat from a large roast, steak, or other cut of beef. Be careful not to include too much muscle flesh (meat) on it.
2. Cut the trimmings into chunks about 2-3 inches in size to make them easier for grinding. Strictly speaking, you don’t have to grind or even cube the fat before rendering, but I think it helps you render it quicker at a lower temperature than large pieces.
3. Place the chunks in a food processor or blender, just enough so that everything will grind evenly. Work in batches if necessary.
4. Next, process the fat until it is evenly ground. No need to liquify it! Just get it to a crumbly consistency.
5. Put the ground fat into a heavy skillet and set it over low heat. The key here is to warm it at the lowest possible heat. You’re not trying to fry it but melt it. Stir frequently. This step could take several hours depending on how much fat you have.
6. Pour the rendered fat through a mesh strainer into a bowl to filter out the crispy chunks that are left behind (the cracklings).
7. Finally, filter the liquid fat one more time through a cheesecloth, paper towel or other fine filter to remove impurities into a jar for storing. The “cleaner” the tallow, the longer it will keep.
8. As the fat cools to room temperature, it will solidify and turn milky white. Keep it covered in the refrigerator or even in the freezer. It will last several months (if you don’t find ways to use it up sooner!).
Beef tallow uses
- Use in any recipe that calls for lard
- Use in place of shortening in baking
- Smear on vegetables before roasting
- Use for deep frying (such as french fries)
- Saute with it instead of oil
- Add fat to sausage making or extra-lean cuts of meat for roasting
- Use to season cast iron cookware
Some non-food uses
- Soap and candle making
- Lubrication
- Hand lotion or salve (it is virtually odorless)
- Lip balm
