So, why would you want to render beef fat? Well, for starters it is a much healthier alternative to cooking oil. According to Professor John Stein at Oxford University, “These omega-6 fatty acids are pushing out the important omega-3 fatty acids that keep the brain healthy” and it is a known fact that it can spike your cholesterol levels. With this being said, it is important that we minimize the use of this oil in our diet as much as possible. Extra virgin olive oil is probably one of the best alternatives (In my opinion) to cooking oil and a wonderful source of monounsaturated fatty acids but it is quite pricey! So that’s where Tallow comes in! Tallow is much cheaper than extra virgin olive and is a healthy source of fat. It contains important vitamins including A, D, K, E, and B1 as well as contains natural anti-inflammatory properties. And the best part of all, the flavor it will add to your food is incomparable!
Aside from cooking, tallow can be used in a multitude of ways. Soap, candles, lotion, salve, and even lip balm can be made with tallow. As mentioned above, with its anti-inflammatory properties and vitamin E which is great for the skin, it makes the best healing salves. Especially when infused with other healing herbs. And to clear the air, if rendered correctly it absolutely will not smell like beef!
Where to find Beef Fat
The easiest and most inexpensive way to purchase beef fat is through your local butcher shop or farm. Beef fat costs around $3/lb on average but some butchers may sell it for less if there is not a high demand for it in your area. If you do not have a local farm or butcher shop nearby there are online shops that will ship to you in refrigerated packaging but going this route will cost you more due to shipping costs. When purchasing, ask your butcher if they will grind the fat for you. If they are able to do this, it will speed up the rendering process for you. How much you buy is entirely up to you but 1 lb of fat will typically yield about 1-2 cups of tallow. I find that 10lbs is the perfect amount for me. When rendered correctly, no moisture is left in your final product meaning you can safely water bath can and store it for at least a year. I recommend canning your product and storing what you are not using until you are ready for it.
How to Render Beef Fat
If your fat has not already been ground up, go ahead and cut it up into chunks. You can skip this step if you prefer but the smaller the pieces, the quicker the process will go. Once this has been done, go ahead and add all the pieces to a large pot. You do not need to use exact measurements for this to work. You will just want to add enough water to fill about 1/4-1/3 of your pot and a decent amount of good-quality salt (about 3/4-1 Cup should suffice). The salt helps to draw out any impurities in your fat. Once you have added your fat, salt, and water go ahead and cook on low heat for about 6 hours, or if you prefer to use a crock pot, 4 hours on high.
Once it has cooked down, line a strainer with cheesecloth over a bowl and strain the tallow. Squeeze out all you can through your cheesecloth so as not to waste any! The little bit of gristle and fat left behind in your cheesecloth makes great dog food if you have fur babies! Now you will want to set your bowl in a cool place and allow it to harden. It will look cloudy at first, this is normal as the fat mixes with the water during the straining process. Once it has hardened, go ahead and pop it out of your bowl and flip it upside down. There will be a dark spot on the bottom of your tallow, you will want to go ahead and scrape these impurities off. Now you can add your tallow back to your pot with more salt and water and cook it down one more time. Repeat this process until you are left with a completely white tallow and clear brine. Usually 2-3 renders are enough. And that’s it, once you have your clean and final product go ahead and pour it into jars and water bath or store it in your refrigerator! And don’t forget to date your jars! If you don’t want to write directly on your jars, these dissolvable jar labels are great!