Tallow is animal fat that has been rendered. Rendering is a cooking process that involves rendering and rendering fat, resulting in a pure, shelf-stable product.
Tallow can be obtained from several animals, including sheep and cows. Beef tallow can be used for cooking and also has applications in skin care.
Beef tallow is made from the fat or tallow that surrounds the cow’s organs. It is made by lightly simmering beef fat, turning it to separate it from the liquid and connective tissue, and collecting the solidified fat.
Beef tallow is a cooking fat with a high smoke point of 480 degrees Fahrenheit (249 degrees Celsius). The smoke point is the temperature at which fat begins to break down. For this reason, beef tallow is a good choice for high-temperature cooking methods such as deep-frying. It has a mild, slightly beefy flavor and a texture similar to shortening.
Beef tallow was once commonly used in the food industry. McDonald’s used beef tallow to fry their fries from 1940-1990, when they switched to vegetable oil. Beef tallow and other high-fat animal products, such as butter and lard, became less popular in the 1990s because of concerns that saturated fat increased the risk of heart disease.
Today, beef tallow is recommended for those following certain high-fat diets, such as the paleo and keto diets.
There is little research on the health effects of beef tallow, and no evidence that it offers any specific benefits. Beef tallow is not as widely used as other fats, such as butter and vegetable oil.
Beef tallow is rich in fatty acids, which are associated with positive health benefits.
Support for a healthy body weight
Beef tallow is high in oleic acid, a fatty acid that can support a healthy body weight by regulating your appetite, how you use energy, and reducing belly fat.
It also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CAL), which has been shown to promote heart health, such as protecting against plaque build-up in the arteries. However, there is no evidence that beef tallow is more effective at this than other types of fat.
Like other animal fats, tallow contains vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, D, K, E and B12. However, tallow is usually consumed in small amounts, so it is not a good source of these nutrients.
Skin care
Although research is limited, some studies suggest that tallow may be good for the skin. A small study found that a skin care treatment containing sheep tallow, which is similar to beef tallow, hydrates the skin effectively.
Although these results are promising, more research is needed before beef tallow can be recommended for skin care. If you’re interested in using beef tallow or skin care, it’s important to note that it makes the skin very oily, which can aggravate acne-prone or naturally oily skin.
Tallow is a popular ingredient in soap making because of its moisturizing properties. It has been used to make soap since ancient times, and you can buy tallow-based soaps in stores and online.
Beef tallow consists entirely of fat and contains no carbohydrates or proteins. Here is the nutritional breakdown for one tablespoon of beef tallow:
| Calories | 115 |
| Fat | 12.8 grams (g) |
| Saturated fats | 6.37 g |
| Monounsaturated fats | 5.35 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
Beef tallow consists of 49% saturated fat and 42% monounsaturated fat. By comparison, butter is 51% saturated fat and 21% monounsaturated fat.
Saturated fat is considered “unhealthy” because it can increase heart disease risk factors, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats are considered “heart healthy” because they generally lower cholesterol.
Tallow contains several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A and choline. Vitamin A is essential for vision, immune function and reproductive health, while choline is essential for fetal growth and development, metabolism, cellular function and neurotransmitter synthesis.
However, a standard tablespoon-sized serving of tallow does not provide a good source of these or any other nutrients other than fat.
Beef tallow is rich in saturated fat, which can increase cholesterol and the development of atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries).
While some research suggests that reducing saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fat may reduce the risk of heart disease, others have failed to find a significant link between saturated fat intake and increased risk of heart disease. for example:
- One study found no association between total or saturated fat intake and heart disease risk. Another review found that saturated fat intake was not significantly associated with risk of heart disease, cardiovascular events (eg, heart attack), or mortality.
- Another review found that the risk of heart disease decreased when saturated fat was replaced with plant protein, unsaturated fat or complex carbohydrates. The risk of heart disease increases when saturated fat is replaced by refined carbohydrates and meat proteins.
Although it is wise to avoid excessive consumption of foods high in saturated fat, most people can enjoy beef tallow in small amounts as part of a healthy diet. Studies show that when saturated fat is consumed as part of an overall healthy eating pattern, potential adverse cardiovascular effects can be reduced.
Beef tallow may not be the best choice for people with certain medical conditions, such as familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that causes high levels of LDL cholesterol.
People with very high cholesterol who are more sensitive to dietary fat should generally reduce their intake of foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol (such as tallow) and replace them with fats known to lower cholesterol, such as olive oil.
Beef tallow has many uses in the kitchen. Here are some ways to cook with beef tallow:
- Use beef tallow to make homemade fries
- Apply tallow to the bottom of baking pans to prevent cakes and bread from sticking
- Use tallow instead of butter to cook eggs and vegetables
- Spread the beef tallow on top of the pie crust to get a golden brown color
- Use it to make hash browns and pan-fried potatoes
- Try it instead of butter or cream when making pie crusts
Beef tallow can be bought ready-made in stores or made at home.
Here’s how to make beef tallow:
- Take the beef pieces from the butcher, trim the fat from the beef and remove any meat that has stuck to the fat
- Cut the fat into small pieces
- Put the pieces of fat in a pot, like in a dutch oven
- Simmer the fat over low heat for 3-4 hours, stirring every hour
- Once all the fat has rendered and separated from the other components of the beef trimmings, remove the mixture from the heat
- Allow the tallow to cool for a few minutes, then strain it into a bowl or bowl using a mesh strainer
- Store your tallow in an airtight glass container
Tallow is shelf stable and can be stored for up to a year when stored in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry.
Beef tallow is ground beef fat, which results in a neutral taste and stable product. It has many culinary uses and can be incorporated into skin care.
There is little research on the health effects of tallow, but like any animal fat, it is best to consume beef tallow in small amounts because it is high in calories and saturated fat.