What is Beef Fat? A Comprehensive Guide

Beef fat, also known as beef tallow, is a type of rendered fat made from cattle. It has been used for thousands of years as both a cooking fat and ingredient in foods. However, the use of beef tallow declined in the 20th century due to concerns over its high saturated fat content. Recently, it has regained popularity among some people due to its potential benefits.

This article provides a detailed guide to beef fat – examining its composition, production, nutrition facts, health effects, uses, and more.

What is Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow is a rendered form of beef suet – the fat that surrounds the kidneys and loins of cattle.

To produce tallow, beef fat is simmered to separate and clarify the fat from the fibrous tissues. The remaining solid fat is mainly triglycerides, while the melted liquid is predominantly water and protein

Once cooled and hardened, beef tallow takes the form of a white, waxy solid at room temperature This is due to its high saturated fat content, which gives it a high melting point

Tallow made from the suet around the kidneys has the highest melting point and is hardest. Fats rendered from other areas like the loins or abdominal cavity are softer.

While tallow is traditionally made from beef, it can also contain fat from other animals like mutton (sheep fat) or lard (pig fat). Commercial tallow products often blend different animal fats.

Composition of Beef Tallow

The majority of beef tallow consists of triglycerides – molecules comprised of three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone.

The fatty acid composition is approximately:

• Saturated fats: 42%
• Monounsaturated fats: 50%
• Polyunsaturated fats: 4%

The high saturated fat content, mainly palmitic and stearic acid, gives tallow a firm texture and high melting point.

Monounsaturated oleic acid predominates among the unsaturated fats, making up 47% of the total fatty acids.

Beef tallow also provides small amounts of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. However, the micronutrient content is negligible.

How is Beef Tallow Produced?

Beef tallow is produced by rendering – heating and clarifying raw beef fat into a purified form.

The main steps are:

1. Raw beef fat (suet) is cut into small pieces.

2. The fat pieces are simmered in water for several hours, melted down, and strained.

3. Impurities like membranes and connective tissue separate from the fat and fall to the bottom, leaving clarified liquid fat.

4. After cooling and hardening, the solid tallow rises to the top and is separated from the water and impurities below.

5. Further filtering and processing removes more water and solids, making an even purer tallow.

6. The tallow is packaged once totally cooled and set.

In commercial production, rendering machinery streamlines the process, but the principles remain the same.

The solids that separate and sink during rendering are known as cracklings or greaves. They find use as animal feeds or are pressed into cakes for cooking.

Nutrition Facts of Beef Tallow

Here are the nutrition facts for beef tallow per 100 grams (3):

• Calories: 902
• Fat: 100g (97% of calories)
  • Saturated fat: 42g
  • Monounsaturated fat: 50g
  • Polyunsaturated fat: 4g
• Carbohydrates: 0g
• Protein: 0g

Beef tallow is almost entirely fat, providing 900 calories and 100g of fat per 100 gram serving.

It’s also extremely low in carbs and protein, with negligible micronutrient content aside from small amounts of fat-soluble vitamins.

Potential Benefits of Beef Tallow

Supporters of beef tallow point to several potential benefits:

High smoke point: With a smoke point of 420°F (216°C), tallow is suitable for high-heat cooking methods like frying. Foods are less likely to burn.

Heat stability: The high saturated fat content gives tallow oxidative stability when heated. It resists oxidation and rancidity better than polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Adds flavor: Some people prefer the taste tallow adds to foods compared to more neutral-tasting vegetable oils. The beefy flavor works well in certain recipes.

Rich in CLA: Beef tallow provides small amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a polyunsaturated fat linked to anti-inflammatory effects.

Affordable: Tallow is budget-friendly, costing less than most cooking oils. Homemade tallow costs only the price of beef fat.

Versatile: Aside from cooking, tallow can be used to make soap, candles, moisturizers, lubricants, and more.

Potential Concerns With Beef Tallow

On the negative side, the main worries surrounding beef tallow are:

High in saturated fat: Predominantly saturated fat, tallow provides 42g saturated fat per 100g serving. Diets high in saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.

May raise LDL cholesterol: Clinical studies show beef tallow consumption significantly increases LDL cholesterol compared to vegetable oils high in unsaturated fats.

Low in essential nutrients: Negligible amounts of protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals. Tallow is empty calories and fat.

Sourcing concerns: Commercial tallow may come from conventionally raised, grain-fed cattle. Some prefer tallow from sustainably grazed grass-fed cows.

Availability: Can be difficult to source high-quality tallow compared to ubiquitous vegetable oils.

Is Beef Tallow Healthy or Unhealthy Overall?

Overall, moderate intake of beef tallow is likely fine for otherwise healthy people eating a balanced diet. However, it may be best minimized by those concerned with heart health or high blood cholesterol.

Replacing vegetable oils high in polyunsaturated fats with beef tallow could adversely affect blood lipid profiles. Saturated fats like tallow are not essential in the diet, so they can be avoided if desired.

For the majority of people, beef tallow should compose only a minor part of total fat intake. Other fats and oils – like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, fish – can provide healthier forms of dietary fat.

However, tallow remains a tasty traditional fat for occasional high-heat cooking uses if you tolerate saturated fats well and your diet allows room for the extra calories.

Uses of Beef Tallow

Some of the main uses for beef tallow include:

• Cooking oil: Excellent for frying due to the high smoke point and stability at high heat. Provides rich, meaty flavor.

• Baking ingredient: Used to make pastry products like pie crusts, pastries, and biscuits. Helps make baked goods flaky.

• Candles: Burns slowly and evenly due to the high melting point. Beeswax candles are traditionally made from a blend of beeswax and tallow.

• Soap making: Reacting tallow with lye produces tallow soap. Harder and longer-lasting than soaps made with liquid oils.

• Lubrication: Has industrial uses as a lubricant for machinery. Withstands high temperatures and pressure well.

• Animal feed: The crispy solids (cracklings) left after rendering find use in livestock feeds. A cost-effective protein source.

• Cosmetics: Applied topically, tallow moisturizes and nourishes skin. The vitamins A and E are beneficial for skin health.

• Biofuels: Researchers have developed renewable biodiesel fuels using beef tallow as a feedstock.

• Textiles: Tallow acts as a spinning lubricant and conditioning agent in cotton production and other textile manufacturing.

From traditional soap making to modern industrial applications, beef tallow has had a multitude of uses throughout history.

How to Make Beef Tallow at Home

Producing homemade tallow is relatively easy:

Ingredients:

• Beef fat/suet, preferably grass-fed – 1 lb (450g) or more
• Water – enough to submerge the fat
• Cheesecloth
• Jar or tube for storage

Instructions:

1. Cut the raw beef fat into 1-inch cubes.
2. Add the fat to a pot and cover with water – 2 to 3 inches above the fat.
3. Simmer on low heat for 2-4 hours until all the fat pieces are melted.
4. Allow the liquid to cool at room temperature overnight. The tallow will rise to the top and harden.
5. Use a spoon to skim off and separate the tallow from the water and impurities below. Alternatively, pour through a cheesecloth to strain.
6. Optional: Re-melt and filter the separated tallow once more for maximum purity.
7. Store the finished tallow in an airtight jar out of direct light. It keeps for months refrigerated or at room temperature.

With minimal ingredients and kitchen tools, anyone can render high-quality tallow at home. Customize it by using fat trimmed from grass-fed beef, lamb, or other animals.

Home rendering also produces the tasty crispy cracklings as a by-product, leaving no waste behind.

How to Cook With Beef Tallow

Beef tallow is shelf-stable and needs no refrigeration, making it convenient to cook with. It adds a mild beefy flavor to foods.

Here are some cooking tips:

• Use tallow for frying up to its 420°F (216°C) smoke point. Excellent for pan-frying steaks or deep-frying.

• Substitute tallow for oil when making savory pie crusts or pastries at a 1:1 ratio. It provides flakiness.

• Roast vegetables by tossing them in a small amount of melted tallow before baking. Provides richness.

• Add a spoonful of tallow to beans, soups, or stews for flavor. Use just like you would oil or butter.

• Use it to grease cooking pans instead of butter or oil. Provides slickness and light flavor.

Start by using small amounts of tallow until you get used to the texture and saturated fat content. Store extra in the refrigerator after opening.

The Bottom Line

Beef tallow is a rendered beef fat that provides a good source of energy, fat-soluble vitamins and has various industrial and cooking applications.

It adds rich flavor to foods and has a high smoke point for frying. However, tallow is predominantly saturated fat, so overconsumption may raise cardiovascular disease risk.

Moderate intake of tallow should be safe for most people as part of a balanced diet. But it’s best to limit intake of saturated animal fats in the diet wherever possible.

For the healthiest fat choices, focus first on unsaturated fats from plant sources like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds and fish. If using tallow, keep your intake in check and balance it with plenty of healthier fats too.