Rendering tallow is a great way to make the most of your food. If you have been wanting to learn, this post is all about how to render tallow from beef fat.
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A few months ago, my family made the decision to purchase our meat in bulk from a local farmer. We homestead on 2.5 acres in the city and are unable to raise meat ourselves due to the restrictions and limitations of where we live.
In the past, I used to buy all of our meat from the grocery store. I paid little to no attention to how it was raised, where it came from, etc. But since purchasing from a farmer who uses regenerative practices for beef and pork, I notice such a difference in the overall taste and quality of the meat.
Another thing that has changed since purchasing meat in bulk is my desire to use everything I can and not let it go to waste. Growing my own food and becoming friends with homesteaders who do raise their own meat taught me to value and appreciate my food so much more. When you spend a lot of money upfront on food and know the process it takes to get it on your plate, you look for ways to make the most of every part of it instead of allowing it to go to waste.
One way that I am doing this is by using the fat from our beef order to make homemade tallow.
Things to Consider When Ordering Meat in Bulk
My family of four doesn’t eat meat every day, so we decided to purchase ⅛ cow and ½ a hog from a local farmer. We eat meat 3-4 times a week and are estimating that this amount of meat will get us through the year.
If you are new to ordering beef and pork in bulk, you can typically choose the amount that you want and have somewhat of a say in the cuts that you get. I knew that I wanted to try making my own tallow and lard, so I specifically asked for extra fat.
It depends on the farmer and butcher, but if you don’t ask for the fat it may not be included in your order. So, make sure to double check!
If you want to make tallow but you don’t want to order meat in bulk, you could try talking to a local farmer or butcher to see if they would sell you just the fat.
What is Tallow?
Tallow refers to rendered fat from animals such as cattle, bison, and sheep. Lard is fat rendered from pigs. In order to render the fat, you cook it down for hours to remove the impurities.
Tallow has been used for hundreds of years; however, with the introduction of vegetable oils it became less popular. In recent years, many people have been re-embracing tallow because it is more natural and less processed than many modern-day cooking oils. It is also a way to waste less.
How Can You Use Tallow?
Tallow has countless uses! You can use it for cooking, soap making, candle making, skincare products, and more. You can also use it to make whipped tallow balm!
Benefits of Tallow
Tallow contains fats that are similar to the fats in human skin. Because of this, it is very moisturizing and healing to dry skin. It contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, it has natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, and it helps skin appear healthy and nourished.
How to Render Tallow from Beef Fat
Rendering tallow is not difficult, but it does require a few simple tools and some time!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Beef fat
- A slow cooker (a large stock pot works too!)
- Wide mouth mason jars or other small glass jars
- Cheesecloth
- Strainer
- A large bowl
- A ladle
Directions:
Start by trimming the fat. Remove as much of the meat as you can.
Cut the fat into small chunks.
Grind the fat up in a food processor, blender, or with a stand mixer. You want it to be the consistency of ground beef.
Put the fat in a slow cooker or stockpot. Turn the temperature to low. Don’t try to speed up the process with a higher heat, it could cause the tallow to burn.
Check the crockpot or stockpot every hour to make sure it is not boiling or burning. Stir the fat to ensure even cooking. If you have a crockpot full of fat, it will take at least 5-6 hours.
As the tallow is rendering, the impurities should float to the top and a clear liquid will form at the bottom of the pot.
Place your strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with a piece of cheesecloth. It is necessary to use cheesecloth or a similar equivalent to make sure that no impurities get through.
Use the ladle to spoon the liquid through the strainer, making sure to remove all impurities.
Allow the tallow to cool to room temperature. It will harden during this time.
Clean out the crockpot. Once the tallow is cool, remove any brown impurities with a knife. These will most likely collect at the bottom.
Put the tallow back in the crockpot. Turn the heat to low.
Once the tallow is melted, allow it to simmer for one hour. Make sure it doesn’t boil or it will burn.
Strain again through cheesecloth.
Allow it to harden and scrape off any brown bits.
You can go through the purifying process again, or you can simply remove the brown bits.
Melt the tallow on low, and pour it into class storage containers. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
Keep at room temperature or store in the fridge! You can also freeze it in a freezer bag if you don’t need it immediately and want it to last longer. Use the tallow as a cooking fat, for skin care, or for making soap and candles.
That is everything you need to know about how to render tallow from beef fat at home!
How to Render Tallow from Beef Fat: Alternative Methods
You can also render tallow by adding water during the heating process. Read this article to find out how plus the pros and cons of this method.
How long will the tallow keep at room temperature.
According to this website, “Beef tallow can have a shelf life of up to one year when kept in a cool and dark storage space, far from excessive exposure to air. However, if you decide to keep tallow on hand for more than a year, it can stay in the freezer for much longer.” https://www.bluecart.com/blog/how-long-does-beef-tallow-last
In my experience, the tallow that I use for skincare has lasted a year at room temperature when stored properly.