How to Make Tallow from Beef Fat
The numerous articles and blogs on tallow have piqued my interest. As a soap maker, I plan to use it for my next recipe, but first I need to understand tallow a bit more.
Aside from soap making, tallow has several other uses, such as candle making and skincare.
Because it is flavorful, tallow is used for cooking. I have not tried cooking with it though, but when I try to imagine what it will taste like, what comes to mind is “bulalo” or beef shank soup, an all-time Filipino dish. Tallow is also suitable for deep frying and roasting due to its high smoke point.
What is Tallow?
Tallow refers to the rendered fat, usually from cattle and sheep. But it can be from other animals, such as goats and horses. Rendered fat from pigs is known as lard.
Let’s talk about beef tallow. This is the rendered fat from cattle. It is rich in vitamins A, D, E, & K, and fatty acids that match the makeup of our skin.
What is rendering?
Rendering simply refers to melting the fat, removing meat, bones, and other impurities, and purifying it to a solid mass called tallow.
There are two methods of rendering tallow, dry and wet. The only difference between the two methods is that in the wet method, you add water to the fat when melting it.
I am more comfortable using the wet method because I don’t want to burn it.
Where I sourced the fat
I went to the supermarket’s meat section, but the salesperson said they were not selling the fat separately.
My next stop was the meat section in the public market where I asked for two kilos of beef fat. The seller said he would source from the nearby stalls. He came back and proudly told me that what I purchased would be good for hamburgers. There was so much meat with the fat. I said to myself, “I only wanted the fat”. In reality, how could I fault this kid for being generous? I also did not specify that the kidney area may be a good spot to collect the fat from.
Pre-rendering the Tallow
Upon reaching home, I trimmed the meat off. What was left of the 2 kilos was 1.5 kilos. I set aside the meat for cooking and chopped the fat into little pieces. It would have been easier if I asked for it to be ground, but with so much protein, it would be wasteful to dispose of the trimmings post-rendering.
Tools and Materials Needed
- Beef fat
- Slow Cooker
- Large Bowls
- Colander
- Paper towels or cheesecloth
- Salt
- Water
Procedure
Put the fat in the stock pot. Add enough water to cover the fat. Add salt. This helps to draw out the impurities.
Set the cooker to low and simmer for about 8-16 hours or until the fat has melted. I checked the crockpot, stirring from time to time, and making sure it does not dry up.
Scoop out the impurities. Use the colander and paper towels to strain the liquid into a large bowl. Be careful handling the hot crockpot.
When cool enough, put in the refrigerator to let the tallow solidify. I left it in the refrigerator overnight.
Lift the hardened tallow and scrape impurities from the bottom. Discard the water.
Repeat the process. I did so for two more times, for 8 hours per round. I wanted to make sure that I had removed all the impurities and lessened the beefy smell.
The tallow is now ready. I am storing it in the freezer for my next project.
My observations
Most of the articles I have read say that rendering tallow at home is easy. I agree with this because the procedure is simple.
However, I find that cleaning the utensils can be a challenge because they are greasy. Some commercially available tallows include descriptions of ‘organic grass-fed beef’. I suppose I need to connect with cattle owners who are into organic cattle raising. Also, if you are vegan, tallow may not be for you.
What do you think about the rendering process? Would you prefer to make your own tallow, or would you rather buy?
Do tell.
