3 Easy Steps To Render Tallow

There are a lot of ways out there to render tallow. I’ve tried them all, and while they all do eventually produce tallow, I’m presenting to you my preferred method. Simmering the fat in water helps make it more hands off for a distracted mama, the outcome is not beefy in the least, and it separates every little bit of foreign material effortlessly!

Step 1 To Render Tallow:

Acquire fat! If you order your beef from a farmer, you can request to have all of the fat from the cow. But even if you’re buying Costco roasts and steaks, there is plenty of fat that typically finds its way into the trash. Instead, cut it off before you cook it, and store it in a ziplock in the freezer. Once you have a decent stash, follow the next steps!

Step 2 To Render Tallow:

Add the chunks of fat to a pot of water. Once it is boiling, add a hefty pinch of salt and reduce heat to a low simmer. It’s okay if there’s a little beef in the mix. Sometimes the marbling means that in order to get the most fat, a little beef will make its way in. It will make a delicious doggy snack in a few hours! If the chunks of fat are very large, let the fat defrost for about 30 minutes and slice it up before boiling. It’s not necessary, but it does speed the process up a bit. Let it simmer away all day long. If you give it time, it will have less of an unpleasant aroma, and you won’t have to watch the water level as much as if you try to rush it and boil it until it’s all melted.

Step 3 To Render Tallow:

Once it’s all mostly melted, strain into a bowl. (Here’s where that doggy snack comes in!) I prefer a bowl that is wider at the top and more narrow on the bottom. Refrigerate, and be in awe in a few hours at the magic that has just taken place! The pure white fat rises to the top, and all the junk is left in the water at the bottom. Because of the shape of the bowl we chose, you can apply a small amount of pressure to one side of it, and out will pop a perfectly round disc of tallow. There will be gunk on the bottom where it was touching the water, so grab a plastic bench scraper and clean it off! I like to let it sit out on towels for about 30 minutes to make sure all the water is off of it.

If it seems like it could go for another round of purification, repeat steps two and three again. It goes much faster once it’s already been rendered.

You could melt it at this point and pour it into a jar for storage, but I actually love having the discs in my freezer. When I go to make tallow cream, chapstick, candles, or first aid ointment, I just break off a chunk and weigh out what I need. I also use this to cook, but have learned that I don’t love the flavor with just anything. It’s a given that it pairs well with beef, so I will use it to brown lean hamburger. I also have my sights set on using it as an oil for frying doughnuts, but that’s not something we do often around here! I’m afraid I might start something if I go there…

Comment below or tag ournomadichomestead on Instagram and let me know what your favorite use is for tallow!