How to Make Beef Tallow (A 7-Step Guide)

If you want to know how to make beef tallow, you’re in the right place!

In this TheGrillingDad.com guide, you’ll learn:

• What beef tallow is
• How to make your own tallow
• And much more!

Supplies You Will Need to Make Beef Tallow: 

• Slow-cooker, 16-qt stock pot, or oven-safe pan 
• Food processor (optional) 
• Funnel 
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Large bowl or container 
• Glass jar, such as a wide mouth Mason jar 
• Piece of cotton cheesecloth (optional) 
• Any spices you choose to flavor the tallow 
• Your choice of beef cut, with fat still on 

How to Make Beef Tallow (7-Steps) 

Step One:  

Trim the fat off of the beef, being sure to cut away all flesh or muscle tissue 

Step Two: 

Freeze the fat until firm, then either hand cut the fat into small pieces, or use the food processor to shred the fat 

Step Three: 

Place the fat pieces into your slow-cooker on low, into your stock-pot over low heat, or in the oven-safe pan with oven at 250- degrees Fahrenheit 

Step Four: 

Slowly simmer, stirring as needed, until the fat becomes a clear liquid with dry cracklings floating on top 

Step Five:  

Remove from heat and strain the liquid through the fine-mesh strainer (optionally lined with cheesecloth) into a large bowl or container 

Step Six: 

Remove the strainer and set the cracklings aside (these can be saved and used as a topping for a side dish or salad) 

Step Seven: 

Using the funnel, pour the liquid fat into your glass storage jar and place into the refrigerator with the lid on. 

At this point, you can add spices into the liquid before storing if you desire.

The liquid fat will solidify when cooled; you now have your own homemade beef tallow! Tallow can safely be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. 

What Is Beef Tallow?

Tallow is rendered beef fat. For more information and the benefits, check out this video:

What You Need to Know About Tallow 

If you enjoy cooking, tallow is something you may have heard about, but never used. It has been around for centuries, but its popularity has begun to resurface on social media and with specialty chefs.  

Historically it was used for cooking, medicinal salves, making candles, and even to grease rifles. When most everyone farmed their own meat, every part of the animal had its use in the home.  

To avoid wasting anything, tallow was just part of the process in slaughtering and cooking meat. Nowadays it is more of a novelty or niche ingredient. You will not find it is a staple in every home. 

So, what is beef tallow? Tallow is the fat from an animal that has been rendered. Rendered is a cooking technique that refers to melting and clarifying solid fat. Once it is melted, it settles back down into a more solid substance that is pliable. 

Spices can be added to tallow during the rendering process, so you can create tallow with more robust flavor if you desire. 

Tallow is a solid when cool and a liquid when heated, so it is versatile when used in cooking. Tallow can be used in place of olive oil or butter. It has a high smoke point so it can be used for deep frying. It is a lot like lard, except lard comes from pork and tallow comes from beef. 

Final Thoughts on Beef Tallow

If you’ve been curious about using beef tallow, we’re hopeful this guide will help you make it for yourself at home.

What do you plan on using your tallow for? Drop a comment and let us know!

If you want to learn more about grilling, check out these other helpful resources!