Beef Tallow
User Reviews
4.7
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
7 hrs
-
Total Time
7 hrs 20 mins
-
Cuisine
American
Beef Tallow
Description
Starting with beef fat preferably from around the kidneys, the fat is cut into small pieces either grated or finely chopped. Any meat parts are trimmed out to improve purity. The fat is placed in a Dutch oven, filled to the top, and cooked covered over low heat. Stirring a few times during the 6-7 hour slow cooking process helps release the fat evenly and prevents burning. The process continues until browned bits, or cracklings, form at the bottom, indicating completion.
After cooking, the liquid fat is drained and filtered through mesh, cheesecloth, or other fine strainers to separate the cracklings from the clear tallow. The resulting fat solidifies when cooled and can be used as a flavorful cooking fat that withstands high heat for frying or roasting.
Ingredients
- beef fat preferably from a grass-fed cow and try to get the fat that is from right around the kidneys
Instructions
- Use food processor to grate it up or if you don’t have a food processor just use a knife and cut the fat into as small of chunks as you can.
- If there are any pieces of meat you can cut out do it at this stage too.
- Put beef fat into 5 qt. Dutch Oven, fill pan to the top.
- With the heat on low put the lid on the beef tallow fat and let it start slowly cooking.
- After 2 hours take a wooden spoon and mix the beef tallow fat around a bit. Some use a potato masher and squish it a bit too to help the process along.
- Don’t cook this fast because if it burns it will ruin it all.
- Stir again at about 4 hours.
- After about 6-7 hours it will be done. You can tell by all the little browned bits cooked till crispy.
- Next drain all the liquid oil and strain out the cracklin’s. (Cracklins are basically fried bits of meat and gristle)
- Use a fine mesh strainer, a paper towel, cheese cloth or a flour sack towel and line the towel over a strainer, which should sit over a large bowl.
- Pour all the hot oil in and strain it. It should be a nice yellow color.
- Pour into airtight containers and allow to cool overnight.
- Store it in an air-tight container to avoid oxidization it can be at room temperature for up to a year or longer. You can store it in the fridge as it will last even longer there. OR you can pour your tallow fat into ice cube trays and put the frozen cubes into a freezer bag to freeze.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
You'll Also Love
